


Through the Night

by SapphireStarxx



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Blood and Violence, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff and Humor
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-18
Updated: 2021-02-09
Packaged: 2021-03-05 07:46:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 163,404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25347178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SapphireStarxx/pseuds/SapphireStarxx
Summary: *Nominated 2020 4th Quarterly Inuyasha Fandom Awards run by FeudalConnection: Best Action *Modern AU. Miroku x Sango with a healthy dose of Inuyasha x Kagome.Sango is a demon slayer in a world that is unaware of the existence of demons and evil spirits. When her best friend and priestess Kagome calls her and tells her she wants Sango to meet her new “boyfriend” she meets not only him but his best friend, Miroku. After a confrontation in an abandoned house, secrets are revealed and they all must work together to defeat a foe they know very little about. One that has been leaving behind strange runes and attacking those with spiritual powers, leaving them in mysterious comas. Along the way feelings start to develop between the two pairs.
Relationships: Higurashi Kagome/InuYasha, Miroku/Sango (InuYasha)
Comments: 173
Kudos: 88





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Special thanks and shout out to my friend lavendertwilight89 for being my beta.

Sango sighed, wondering how she had ended up here. The abandoned house loomed before them. Why did she always let Kagome talk her into things?

\- 2 DAYS AGO -

Wiping the sweat from her brow, Sango made sure her weapons were in their proper places before allowing the glamour to settle back around her. The demon slayer armor she wore became fitted black jeans and a green shirt, her weapons disappearing from sight all together. To the average passersby, she would now appear to be completely ordinary. The glamour was a nuisance but a necessary evil.

To the rest of the world demons "didn't exist." Of course that wasn't actually true or she would be out of a job. She also thought her latest clients would beg to differ on that sentiment.

It had been a pair of snake youkai infesting the home of an elderly couple and ended with the demons attempting to eat their visiting grandchild. Their neighbor's kid had gone "missing"...the third in a string of missing people in that community and Sango had made the gruesome discovery that all of them were long dead at the hands of the demons. They had convinced the nice older couple they were two hungry and homeless children, which wasn't surprising considering snake youkai were known for their shapeshifting abilities and gluttonous natures. What was surprising was encountering this type of demon so close to actual civilization. Wilderness was their preferred habitat, after all. There had also been a strange symbol burned onto the wall of their makeshift den, a symbol that was a match for ones she had been seeing at the site of other recent demon attacks. Many of those attacks had also claimed casualties. Mulling it over in her head, Sango wondered what it could mean.

 _'Well, that's a job for another day,'_ she decided. Current job completed, Sango started to head home, looking forward to a nice long shower. With steam. Lots of steam. She checked her phone and paused. A missed call from Kagome. _Hmm._ Curious, Sango called her best friend back. The line rang twice before the other girl picked up.

"Sango!"

She smiled at the obvious warmth in the other girl's voice. "Hey, Kagome. I saw your call."

"Right. Okay, before I say anything don't freak out."

"Okay...I'm listening."

A hesitation. Then--

"I want you to meet my boyfriend."

At that, Sango stopped mid-step. Her friend was quiet on the other end of the line.

"I'm sorry, what? Your _boyfriend_?" She finally managed.

"Yes."

"Kagome, since when do you have a boyfriend? Since when were you even _dating_ someone?"

"A month ago."

"A month?!" Sango echoed incredulously. "And you never told me?!"

Kagome let out a nervous chuckle. "I'm telling you now, right? Please don't be mad."

"I'm not mad, just...surprised." She took a breath. "And okay, maybe a little mad. I can't believe you're only just now mentioning him to me."

Kagome. With a boyfriend. And for a whole month! That she hadn't told her stung Sango a bit. They were best friends! She was sure Kagome had good reasons for not telling her sooner and she was going to demand those reasons just as soon as she got over the shock of Kagome having a boyfriend.

"I'm sorry! Forgive me?"

"Fine, fine. But you owe me an explanation." Sango grumbled, giving in.

"So as I was saying, I want him to meet my best friend." Kagome's voice turned crafty. "By the way, he'll be bringing his best friend, too. I've seen pictures and the guy is really good looking. You should wear something cute."

Immediately suspicious, Sango narrowed her eyes.

"Kagome, if this is another one of your matchmaking schemes…"

"I'm just trying to introduce my best friend to my boyfriend and he just happens to be bringing his own best friend. Who is single, by the way."

Sango stayed silent. The last time Kagome had tried to set her up had ended terribly. The guy's name had been Kenjiro, the son of a wealthy family that made regular donations to the shrine Kagome worked at. He had liked to flaunt his status, making constant not-so-subtle allusions to his wealth. Sango hadn't been able to pronounce anything on the menu of the fancy place he had taken them to for dinner, and then made comments about how any wife of his would need to know such basic things. That obviously was the wrong thing to say to her, and long story short, she had ended up walking out _and_ walking home.

The time before that was Kuranosuke. He had been sweet but there was no spark between them. At least not on her end. Not to mention his nose had been running their entire date, grossing her out.

"Come on, you want to meet my boyfriend, right?" Kagome reasoned, all innocence. Sango wasn't fooled. Still…

"Okay. Fine. Yes."

She _did_ really want to meet this boyfriend. She also hadn’t seen Kagome in weeks and missed her friend terribly. If that meant going along with more of Kagome's matchmaking shenanigans then that was just the price she would have to pay. How bad could this one be?

"Yay! Okay, I'll text you the time and place. You're busy tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah. I have another extermination."

Sango didn't elaborate. Kagome was the Head Priestess at the Higurashi Shrine and knew exactly what she was referring to. That was actually how they had met, when they had both been in middle school. Sango had still been in demon slayer training at the time and was assisting on a mission gone wrong. Her father had been struck in the arm by the stinger of a scorpion demon while protecting her. Feeling overconfident she had been careless and charged in headfirst leaving herself wide open to attack and her father had paid the price.

While the wound itself hadn't been too bad, the demonic poison had turned the shallow scrape into something much more deadly. Purple tendrils of miasma had been snaking through his veins, working their way from his arm to his heart and an immediate purification was needed. They had rushed him to the nearby Higurashi Shrine where Kagome was the attending priestess at the tender age of thirteen. She had also still been in training herself but her vast spiritual powers had propelled her into a more prominent position. With a little help she had saved Sango's father and they were fast friends to this day, ten years later.

"That's the fourth one this week, right?" Kagome's voice was quiet. It worried Sango, too. A typical week usually involved about two jobs, three if things were really crazy. That number had doubled and this was the third week in a row she was being kept so busy. Most demons left humans alone in this modern world, out of disinterest or self-preservation. Something was going on that was agitating them. Something to do with that strange symbol that kept turning up.

"Fifth one, actually." She responded.

"Be careful."

"Always."

Sango hung up.

~☆~

Two days later Sango stood outside the cafe, checking the time. Worried she was going to be late she had left with time to spare. It had worked in her favor as she had arrived a few minutes early.

 _'Wear something cute.'_ Kagome had said. After some internal debating, Sango had given in and decided to listen to her friend's instructions. She had dressed in her best jeans, the ones that hugged her every curve. For her top she donned a cute sleeveless blouse that allowed a hint of cleavage to peak through as a tease in a shade of pink that matched her eyeshadow. Unsure of what to do with her hair she had opted to leave it down, dark brown locks framing her face. As a final touch she had grabbed one of her daggers, strapping it to her right leg in a thigh sheath, glamour hiding it from view.

Not that she thought anything would happen. She was here to meet Kagome's boyfriend, not to slay demons. Still it never hurt to be prepared. Especially with the way the demons had been acting up lately. She hadn't become so good at her job by being careless.

After a deep breath she opened the door and stepped inside. And promptly tripped on the turned up corner of the entrance rug, stumbling a little and dropping her purse. Stifling a sigh of frustration Sango bent over to pick it up. It took a few attempts and some fumbling before she finally grasped the offending object. She gave it and the rug a glare like her sudden clumsiness was somehow their fault. As she straightened she became aware she was blocking the way for the person who had just entered behind her. She turned to apologize and the words died on her lips as she took in his appearance.

 _'Oh God, he's hot,'_ She thought faintly.

Thick black hair just a little too long was pulled into a short ponytail, strands escaping to fall around his face, bangs brushing his forehead. Gold glinted at his ears, one small hoop on his right and two on his left. Roguishly handsome features dominated his face, with a sharp jawline and firm lips. Eyes the most interesting shade of cool blue verging on indigo regarded her under a strong brow, one of which was quirked up at her. Right. She was staring. And standing in his way. She swallowed.

"S-sorry." She stammered. _'Nice, Sango,'_ she thought. _'Way to stun him with your wit.'_

"Are you all right?" He asked. His voice was low and smooth and it was doing funny things to her insides. She reminded herself to breathe. _'Get it together,'_ she told herself. _'Stop staring at his perfect face and answer the man.'_

"Y-yes." She cleared her throat and tried again. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to take up the whole entryway." There. That wasn't so hard. He was probably enjoying watching her make a fool of herself in front of him.

"No worries. Besides I should be thanking you for treating me to such a breathtaking view." He replied, eyes bright with amusement.

The what?

"The view?" Sango repeated. He couldn't mean-- … She had been bent over with her ass up in the air for a few long moments just minutes before. Surely he wasn't referring to _that_ , was he?? She was trying to decide what else he could have possibly meant and if she should be offended when he spoke again, answering her.

"Your lovely face, of course. When I saw you the room instantly became beautiful." He winked.

She blinked. Then laughed. It sounded like such a bad pick up line she thought he had to be joking. Yet somehow it was still making her blush. The hell??

He smiled at her reaction. "And now I've been graced with your smile. I'm truly a blessed man."

His lines were so cheesy but she couldn't help but be affected. What was wrong with her? She hadn’t thought she was a sucker for a pretty face but apparently she just hadn’t found the right pretty face to make herself act foolish for. She just looked at him looking at her, and they stayed that way for a few heartbeats, her skin flushed at his compliments while she cast about desperately for something to say in response. What did someone say to something like that?

"Uhm, er, thank you. You're really full of one liners, aren't you?" She finally said, a bit awkwardly. It had to be obvious she was flustered which was ridiculous because those were the lamest lines ever. She should have been rolling her eyes. "I-I'm actually here to meet a friend. I'm sorry, I don't want to keep them waiting." Good, now she could make her escape with some of her dignity still intact.

"What a coincidence, me too." He paused. "Wait a second, are you Kagome's friend Sango?"

So much for escape. Also…

 _'How does he--'_ And then it dawned on her before she could finish the thought. Of course this would be him. _‘He's really good looking.’_ Kagome had said and, well, she definitely wasn't wrong.

"Oh, you must be-- "

" --Inuyasha's best friend." He finished for her. She assumed Inuyasha had to be the name of Kagome's boyfriend. Kagome hadn't mentioned his name to her but had clearly mentioned Sango's name to both of them. That hardly seemed fair.

"I'm sorry, you seem to know my name but she never told me yours."

"It's Miroku." He told her with another smile that made her heart pound.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Miroku." Sango said, his smile so nice she couldn't help but return it with one of her own.

"Likewise, Sango. Let's go find our friends, shall we?" He gestured gallantly with his arm in a 'ladies first' motion. Sango _did_ roll her eyes a bit at that but there was still a smile on her face as she turned to face the inside of the cafe for the first time since arriving. She immediately spotted Kagome sitting at a booth, the other girl watching them avidly. No doubt she had witnessed the whole exchange with Miroku, including her dumbstruck expression upon seeing him for the first time. That was definitely something she was going to be hearing about later, she knew. In the meantime Kagome was waving them over.

Sango's eyes shifted to her friend's companion, taking him in curiously. He was also pretty good looking, she had to admit. As she and Miroku approached the table she was able to get a better look at his features, which included a strong jaw and a mane of jet black hair reaching to his waist, two forelocks framing his face. His sharp blue-gray gaze was screwed up in a small frown at whatever he and Kagome were discussing. _'He seems like a happy guy.'_ She thought flippantly. The most interesting thing she noted about him, however, were the purple and white prayer beads around his neck. They were completely at odds with the rest of his otherwise modern appearance; red pants and a plain white t-shirt.

Kagome looked up at their approach. "Hey guys!" She greeted them.

"Hey!" Sango returned with a smile.

"Hello, looking lovely as always, Kagome." Miroku said. Sango noticed how smoothly he said that and started to wonder if he was just a flirt by nature. They slipped into the booth seat, Miroku being a gentleman and allowing Sango to go first.

"Hey yourselves. It's about time. We've been waiting for ten fucking minutes." Inuyasha complained. Kagome shot him a look.

"Hey, Miroku and I are on time." Sango said, frowning a bit at his confrontational manner. Was he always like this? She chanced a look at Kagome who was mouthing _'sorry,'_ and Miroku who looked like this was nothing new.

"Sorry, Inuyasha is just moody because he's hungry," Kagome said, taking Inuyasha's hand in hers. "Isn't that right, _babe_?" Inuyasha reddened a bit at that, which Sango found interesting. Weren't they supposed to be dating? Maybe using endearments was something new to their relationship, she reasoned.

"Anyways," Kagome continued, turning back to them, "You two already met?" She looked delighted.

"Only just now." Sango said. "So this is your boyfriend?" She prompted, trying to change the subject. This was why they were all here, after all.

"Right. This is Inuyasha, my boyfriend. Inuyasha, meet Sango, my best friend. And you've already met Miroku." Her brown eyes sparkled a bit at that last sentence.

"If I had known how beautiful your friend was, I would have insisted on meeting her sooner." Miroku replied, causing Sango to blush but also groan inwardly. Kagome had to be eating this up. Inuyasha rolled his eyes. Kagome grinned and then looked at Inuyasha expectantly.

"I didn't mean to snap at you," he said gruffly at Kagome's prodding. "I wasn't tryin' to be rude."

"We're working on his people skills." Kagome told them.

"It's fine." Sango said. Her opinion of him improved a little bit at that. Maybe he was just having an off day. "So Kagome tells me you guys have been together for a month now. How did you two meet?"

They both froze and shared a look before speaking at the same time.

"I was taking a walk when--"

"She came to the forest and--"

"I mean--"

"That is--"

They both cut off, Kagome's expression a little panicked. _Weird._ What was going on? Telling the story of how they met should have been one of the most basic things to answer.

"You met when she was taking a walk in the forest…?"

Miroku covered a cough that sounded suspiciously like a laugh. Inuyasha and Kagome were saved from having to reply at the appearance of their waitress, who had arrived carrying a tray with four waters.

"Hello, my name is Himari and I'll be taking care of you this evening! How are you all doing?" She greeted them cheerily while setting their waters on the table.

"My day just got even better at the sight of you." Miroku smiled up at her and the waitress practically swooned. Sango frowned at that.

"Oh my, you're too kind." She demurred, a blush high on her cheeks.

"It's not kindness if it's the truth." He insisted. Himari fluttered her eyes at Miroku. Inuyasha looked disgusted.

Sango felt her own expression souring. Just like that the spell was broken. So he was just a flirt, then. She didn't know why she had expected him to actually be genuinely interested in her. Maybe it was just the sincerity in his voice when he had spoken to her. Or the intensity in his eyes when he had looked at her. Kagome had also hinted that this was meant to be a double date of sorts. And here he was trying to smooth talk their waitress. She should have known better than to be swayed by a few pretty words.

"Oh my," Himari was saying. "Well I'll be back in a few minutes to take your orders." She slid a coy glance Miroku's way before scurrying off.

Beside her, Miroku was lifting his glass to take a drink. Extremely annoyed now, Sango raised her arm to grab her own, "accidentally" elbowing him in the process. This made him slosh his water, causing some to spill on his shirt.

"So sorry," she said in a tone that was not remotely contrite. "I'm sure our waitress would be happy to clean it up for you, though."

Miroku paused in dabbing at his shirt with napkins to shoot her a weird look. Inuyasha choked on his own drink while Kagome was staring at her wide-eyed. Sango pretended not to notice and studied the menu instead.

"It suddenly got a whole lot colder on that side of the table." Inuyasha commented. His observation was followed by a long awkward silence.

Himari came back and took everyone's orders, all the while making flirty remarks to Miroku. Sango tuned it all out, already done with the evening. How stupid to have allowed herself to be taken in by a pretty face and prettier words. So what if he was charming and ridiculously hot, and time had seemed to move in slow motion when she first saw him. She told herself she wasn't interested in him anymore; the guy clearly wasn't picky. Any girl would do, and she wasn't about to be one of them. She had standards.

"So have you guys heard about this haunted house that's nearby? There's a local legend about it, it's very interesting." Kagome said in an obvious effort to diffuse the tension.

Sango wondered where Kagome was going with this. They were a priestess and a demon slayer respectively, so they both knew these types of stories tended to have some truth to them, not to mention they had both already heard of this particular urban legend. The guys they were with on the other hand had no knowledge of the world that was really out there. She was trying to communicate this to Kagome with her eyes but the other girl was determined to avoid her gaze.

"I haven't actually. What's the story?" Miroku replied, sounding genuinely curious.

While Kagome explained the history of the legend their food arrived. The story went that the broken down house was haunted by the spirit of a man who had killed his family and then himself. Unable to move on or accept the horrible things he had done in life the man's spirit became affixed to the house, haunting it and bent on making those who crossed his path to suffer. It was said that anyone who went in never came out, their bodies never found. The place was located a couple miles away off the road, a relic from another time and now since surrounded by overgrown woods and shrubbery.

"I think we should go check it out! It'll be fun." Kagome finished.

"You sound like one of those people in horror movies who make terrible decisions." Sango said dryly. From beside her Miroku laughed a little at her joke. She was still annoyed at him so she refused to acknowledge it, even though it secretly pleased her a little.

"The house is supposed to be haunted and you wanna go check it out? Are you fucking stupid?" Inuyasha burst out.

"What? Are you scared?" Kagome teased.

"Of course not! I'm saying we shouldn't go looking for trouble." He looked pointedly at her.

"Well I'm not opposed to the idea." Miroku said, eyeing Sango. She wondered if he was trying to impress her and suppressed a laugh. If only he knew what she did for a living. The idea of a murderous ghost didn't scare her in the slightest. She shrugged.

"Sure, why not?" She said. After all, the evening couldn't get much worse.

"Alright, it's decided." Kagome said happily. Inuyasha grumbled indistinctly next to her and she cheerfully ignored him.

As Himari dropped off their checks she pulled out a piece of paper, writing something down on it. When she was finished she took Miroku's hand and placed it in his palm. He looked at it then at her. "Call me." She said with a saucy wink.

Sango fumed. Unbelievable. She was supposed to have been getting set up with this guy and the waitress was giving him her number. And worse, he was taking it! He smiled as he placed it in the pocket of his black leather jacket, though there was a nervous edge to it. Maybe it was because of the gimlet eye she was giving him. She didn't care anymore. She half hoped a demon did make an appearance tonight and ate him.

~☆~

Since it wasn't too far away they had all agreed to walk there. Upon setting out Kagome found herself beside Sango, with Inuyasha and Miroku up ahead talking amongst themselves.

"So that's really your boyfriend," Sango said, and Kagome could hear the disbelief in her voice.

"I know he's a little rough around the edges but he's got a good heart. Well, mostly."

"I'll take your word for it. I know we just had dinner together but I still feel like I know nothing about him."

"Yeah...tonight didn't exactly go the way I had hoped." Kagome responded with a small sigh. "I really thought you and Miroku would hit it off, too."

"He was too busy hitting on the waitress," Sango said sourly. "You didn't tell me he was a hopeless flirt."

"I'm sorry. I think he really did like you though. You should have seen his face when he first saw you. I don't think he meant anything he said to that waitress, to be honest. It just sounded like empty flattery." Kagome insisted.

"He accepted her phone number!"

"Yeah...there is that."

Kagome didn't know what else to say. Or rather there was only so much more she could say. She had only met Miroku a handful of times before and while he was charming and a bit flirty he didn't come across as a player to her. After a few more moments she said, "I'm going to go catch up with Inuyasha now. But I think this will all work out. I just have a feeling. Trust me."

She escaped while Sango sputtered behind her and came up beside Inuyasha, grabbing his hand. "I'm going to steal him from you now, Miroku."

Miroku gave an easy smile and allowed himself to fall back into step where Sango was walking. Kagome gave Inuyasha's hand a soft squeeze.

"Do ya have to do that?" Inuyasha asked, looking at anywhere but her. Despite his words he let her keep his hand in hers. Even hand holding was difficult with him still. Kagome sighed.

"Well you are my _boyfriend_ right now, so yes I do. This is a normal thing for couples to do. You're not convincing at all." Kagome replied. "We've known each other for a month now. You have to get used to me eventually."

"Keh, whatever. This is stupid," he said, but the words had no heat behind them.

Meanwhile Miroku had been walking beside Sango in silence. Once it had stretched a little too long he finally decided to say something.

"Have I done something to offend you?"

"Of course not."

"Really? Because you seem to be ignoring me, quite spectacularly I might add."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Sango replied. "Why should I care if you decide to flirt with our waitress or accept her number. It's none of my business."

He glanced at her but stayed quiet.

"It's not like this was an actual date." She continued.

"A date?" He echoed looking at her curiously.

"I shouldn't have listened to Kagome. She always tries to set me up with the worst guys."

"Set you up?"

"Are you going to repeat everything I say?" She snapped.

"I'm just trying to understand what's going on." He explained.

Sango frowned at that. What was there to understand? "Listen, it doesn't matter."

"Were you under the impression this was supposed to be a date?" He asked.

With a sinking feeling Sango realized Inuyasha must not have phrased this as a set up of any kind to Miroku. Here she was acting like a jealous girlfriend when the guy had just been trying to have a good time. He owed her, a girl he had just met, absolutely nothing. She was going to strangle Kagome for leading her to believe this was some kind of date. She was absolutely mortified. Her face burned and she was glad it was dark out so he couldn't see.

Miroku smiled like he had just been let in on a little secret and reached into his jacket, pulling out the piece of paper with the waitress's number.

"I think I understand now. If this is bothering you, then here. I wasn't planning to call her, anyway." He crumbled it up and tossed it away as she watched. "I'd much rather have your number instead."

She was skeptical of the feelings his words stirred in her; she knew from prior experience that pretty words were just words and meant nothing. Actions proved everything. And if she had to admit it to herself, she was also scared to let someone like him in. Better to keep her walls up than risk anything happening and getting hurt. Her first impressions were mixed but they weren't favorable enough to convince her to trust him.

"Not happening." She finally said. A sudden wind gusted by, raising goosebumps on her arms and causing her to shiver. Her thin sleeveless top didn't offer much protection from the elements and she was regretting not bringing a jacket of her own. Miroku noticed her shiver and frowned. "Are you cold?"

"A little." She admitted.

"Here," he said, removing his jacket and holding it out to her. "Take it."

Sango looked at him in surprise. She was hesitant to accept something like that from him but she was cold and she supposed he was just trying to be nice. And get back on her good side. She took it from him after a slight hesitation. "Thank you."

Putting it on she gave a soft sigh of contentment. It was still warm with his body heat and she tried not to notice how that seemed to warm her more than the jacket itself.

"We're here!" Kagome called out and Sango stopped, looking up and taking in the scene.

Another cool breeze fluttered through the trees of the surrounding wood. Branches shifted at the disturbance, moonlight filtering through the gaps in the leaves to shine upon the ruin they all currently stood before. Held together by splintered planks and rotting boards it was a minor miracle the structure was still standing.

 _'Of course,'_ Sango thought, _'it probably wouldn't have gained such a reputation for being haunted if it wasn't in such disrepair.'_

"Wow! It really looks haunted." Kagome said. There was actual excitement in her voice.

"Yeah, exactly. So tell me why the fuck we're here, again?" Inuyasha groused, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Oh come on. Don't be such a spoilsport." She nudged him playfully with her shoulder. "This is supposed to be fun, remember?"

"You have a strange definition of fun."

"Hmm. Fun, you say?" Miroku said, stealing a glance at Sango. Her skin all but glowed in the pale light as she tugged his jacket closed around her to ward off the chill in the night air. Their gazes met briefly and she quickly looked away, a light blush coloring her cheeks. So she was embarrassed to have been caught looking at him. How cute. He bit back a smile and shifted his attention back to Kagome. "So what is this fun plan of yours?"

"I'm so glad you asked, Miroku!" She practically gushed. Inuyasha had a long-suffering expression on his face next to her. "I was thinking a game of truth or dare would be exciting."

Sango had been studying Miroku out of the corner of her eye but she jerked her head up at those words and leveled a death glare Kagome's way. _'Don't do it, do NOT do it.'_ The other girl forged gamely onward, as if her best friend wasn't shooting daggers at her with the mere power of her gaze.

"In fact," Kagome continued, beaming, "Why don't you start it off with Sango?"

That's it. She was going to _kill_ Kagome. Kill. Her. Obviously she was ridiculously attracted to Miroku and her best friend, well aware of this, hadn't given up on trying to match them up. And the guy had lent her his jacket and okay it smelled kind of nice which meant that _he_ smelled kind of nice. And he was undeniably charming. But he was bad news for her heart. A total flirt. First buttering her up with pretty words then coming on to their waitress right in front of her. No matter that he had told her he hadn't actually been interested in Himari. She had no time for a guy like that.

"I'd be happy to," Miroku was saying. "Sango, my dear. I dare you to either brave the depths of this haunted house alone or spend an evening with me."

She would not be pulled in by his words again. She _wouldn't_. Also what the hell did he mean by 'an evening'? Why did he have to phrase things so weirdly?

"No thanks. I'd rather take my chances with a homicidal ghost over a womanizer." She marched into the house without a backward glance. Let a ghost try to attack her. She could use the outlet.

Miroku sighed. "Well, it was worth a try."

"Did ya have to accept that girl's number?" Inuyasha asked dryly. "Probably would be having better luck if you hadn't."

"I didn't want to be rude. Besides, I threw it away." Miroku protested.

"So then give her a nice tip!" Kagome exclaimed. "You're never going to win Sango over by flirting with other girls."

Miroku thought about that for a second. Was he trying to win her over? Sango had said she thought it was supposed to be a double date and he had had no clue. Typical of Inuyasha to conveniently leave out that detail. He thought back over their brief interactions so far and found himself intrigued by the combination of her shy innocence and fiery attitude. And the way she had looked at him when she first saw him had stuck in his brain, beautiful brown eyes widening in surprise and attraction. He realized it was from that moment on that yes, yes he was.

"You're absolutely right, Kagome. And I would be remiss in letting such a beautiful woman chance danger by herself." With that flowery speech Miroku followed Sango into the building.

"Well it's a good thing he went after her in case something happens. There's a strange aura around that house." Inuyasha commented.

"Hmm. I don't know. Sango has a few tricks up her sleeve." Kagome said.

He looked at her askance. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You'll find out." Kagome replied with a small, knowing smile. "Anyways, I agree. It's good he went after her. Maybe this can bring them closer."

He stared at her. "They just met…"

"Exactly! They need something to act as a bonding experience to help bring them together. Relationships have to start somewhere."

Inuyasha looked at her like she had two heads. "What the fuck are you on about? Relationship? Not likely with that womanizer." He snorted.

Kagome made a face. "Yeah, he seems like kind of a flirt. But you saw the way they both looked at each other when they first saw each other. There's something there. And he's your friend, right? He has to have some redeeming qualities. Besides, I just have a feeling. I can't explain it."

"Keh. Whatever." He scoffed. "I'll believe it when I see it."

"I think you'll be surprised." Kagome responded, smiling up at him.

~☆~

Meanwhile Sango was carefully picking her way through the ruin. The floor had rotted through in several spots that, coupled with the darkness, made it a minefield to walk in. Decay hung heavy in the stale air along with the scent of dust and earth. There was a feeling of foreboding in the atmosphere that she hadn't noticed when standing outside. She admitted to herself it was probably because she hadn't been paying attention to such things. A hand crept to the hilt of the hidden dagger at her thigh.

Her thoughts circled back to the source of her distraction. _'My dear,'_ he had said. She let out a dismissive laugh. Hardly. There was a sudden noise behind her and she whirled, drawing her dagger from its sheath to hold it in front of her in a ready stance.

"Whoa! It's just me." Miroku said, holding a hand out. She relaxed, letting out a breath. He noticed the weapon in her hand. "Where did you get a dagger?"

She didn't answer him. It was like her thoughts had conjured him. She became annoyed. "Why are you here? I thought I was supposed to do this alone."

"I got worried." He shrugged. "If something were to happen…"

"Thanks, but I can take care of myself. I don't need--" she broke off noticing something on the wall behind Miroku for the first time. She stalked forward and Miroku almost took a step backwards at the intensity of her approach. Stopping beside him, she raised a hand to touch something on the wall. He turned to see what it was that had caught her attention. A complicated twisting of shapes formed a rune that was etched onto the surface. Dark splashes coated the wall and the floor beneath it...dried blood. He frowned. This was…

"I've seen this mark before." She said by way of explanation. He looked away from the symbol to look at her in interest.

"Really? Where?"

Sango opened her mouth to respond and that was when all hell broke loose.

There was a flash of greenish light that momentarily blinded her and while she was disoriented something knocked her sideways with bruising force. She collided with Miroku and they both crashed to the floor in a heap of limbs. _Shit._ Looked like there was some truth to the rumors after all.

She scrambled to her feet, gripping her dagger tightly, just in time to see the thing that had struck them circle back for round two. Glad she had had the foresight to bring one of her weapons, Sango wasted no time charging forward to meet it. This was what she was made for. She wanted to check on Miroku but there was no time for that. Springing into a somersault she avoided the creature's mouthful of teeth attempting to bite her in half and brought her dagger up to slice a line down the length of its serpentine body. It screamed in pain before collapsing into itself and dissolving from sight.

Breathing from exertion Sango rushed over to Miroku who was standing now. She had just reached his side when he grabbed her roughly by the arm and swung her around, holding her close to him. Massive jaws bit the air where she had just been standing. What?

"It's an evil spirit, not a demon! Your attacks aren't going to do more than anger it!" He told her.

Sango looked at him in shock. "How the hell do you know that?!" She demanded while dodging another strike from the afore-mentioned angry spirit and pushing Miroku away in a purely instinctual move to keep him from harm.

Her foot got caught in a hole in the floor and she stumbled, her momentum causing her to pitch forward and fall. The spirit wasted no time taking advantage of her misstep, bringing a clawed hand down to crush her head. She freed her foot and rolled to the side at the last minute, striking out with her dagger as she did so and savaging its neck. It roared in anger and pain and she used the distraction to right herself and gain some distance.

"Evil spirits give off a different aura than evil demons do." He explained.

"No, I mean how do you know any of that!"

"Because I'm an exorcist! And by the looks of things you're a demon slayer. Physical attacks won't do any good against an opponent like this. It requires something spiritual."

Her thoughts went instantly to Kagome, but her friend wasn't currently there to help them. She wanted to take the time to process this new revelation about Miroku but she had her hands full at the moment. Defeat this thing, then figure out what the hell was going on.

Miroku was chanting incantations, dodging the strikes of the ghost with practiced ease, never missing a word or a step. It grabbed a broken table and flung it his way and he ducked to avoid it, eyes narrowed in concentration. Sango could feel his spiritual powers rise up in challenge to the evil spirit. The house around them began to groan from all the abuse. Much more and they risked bringing the whole building down around them.

He had almost finished his spell when it broke free of his hold, rushing him. In a desperate move Sango threw her dagger, hitting it squarely between the eyes and divesting herself of her only weapon. It was her turn to grab him and pull him to her to avoid the path of the rampaging spirit. The spirit crashed into the wall next to them, the force causing wood to splinter and making them fall to the ground again, with her on top of him.

"I wish I could take the time to enjoy this." Miroku said from beneath her. Before she could respond he flipped them so that he was now on top of her and then brushed a hand along her side, stroking upwards.

"Hey!" Sango yelled. "What--"

"Calm down," he said, reaching into one of the pockets of his jacket that she was currently still wearing and retrieving a small stack of white papers. "I just needed these." He rolled to his feet, pulling her up with him as they avoided yet another charge of the enraged ghost. "You could have just asked for them!" Sango said indignantly.

Miroku didn't reply and rushed the evil spirit, casting the papers towards it and calling out, "Evil spirit, begone! I banish you from this place forthwith!" His power surged as they stuck to the spirit and crackled with blue light and the force of his energy. Sutras, Sango realized belatedly. Of course. She was momentarily impressed that, like her with her dagger, he too had come prepared in case of any trouble. She respected that. He clearly knew what he was doing.

The evil spirit struggled for a few minutes longer, screaming in outrage before Miroku's power finally overwhelmed it. With one final screech and a burst of light it vanished, exorcised. He slowly lowered his hands, breathing hard from the effort.

Sango walked over to where her dagger lay on the ground and retrieved it, placing it back in its sheath. She turned to look at Miroku, a million questions running through her mind. He caught her look and gave a half smile. "We should probably go see Inuyasha and Kagome. They must be worried."

She followed him outside in silent agreement. When they emerged she caught sight of the concerned faces of their friends. Kagome was looking a little pale and had clearly been in the middle of arguing with Inuyasha about going in after them, judging by the firm grip he had on her arm and the way she was pulling at it.

"I fucking told you it was a bad idea to come here but you didn't want to listen!" Inuyasha was saying.

Kagome had opened her mouth to respond but broke off from whatever she was about to say at their appearance. "Sango! Miroku!" The relief in her voice was palpable. "Oh my God, are you guys okay?! What happened?! We heard such a huge commotion and Inuyasha refused to let me go in!" This last declaration was punctuated by a glare at Inuyasha. He glared back.

"An evil spirit attacked us." Miroku replied. Sango noticed this announcement was met with zero surprise from Inuyasha, who just scowled harder at the information. Kagome didn't seem shocked that Miroku was aware of ghosts either and thus had to have known he was an exorcist.

"I noticed a mark on the wall that matches other runes I've been seeing at recent demon attack sites. Along with bloodstains," she added. Obviously she had been wrong in her deductions that Inuyasha and Miroku knew nothing about the world of demons and ghosts that existed alongside humanity.

Inuyasha's gaze landed on the now-visible dagger at her thigh and his eyes bugged. "Is that dagger made of demon bone?" He demanded.

Miroku muffled a laugh. Sango blinked. "Well, yes."

"You're a demon slayer?" He rounded on Kagome. "Did you know?!"

Kagome looked at him like he was slow. "Of course I know she's a demon slayer. She's my best friend."

"And you didn't think that was important to mention to me?!" He said, his voice rising.

"Again, she's my best friend! It's not like she's going to slay you! Would you calm down!"

Now Sango was confused, not to mention tired of not knowing what the _fuck_ was going on. This had been a very trying evening and her patience was running thin. She was about to start demanding that someone give her answers when Kagome spoke again.

"You said there was a strange rune on the wall?" She directed her question at Sango who nodded.

Kagome seemed to think something over before arriving at a conclusion. She turned to Inuyasha. "Take them off."

He looked at her. "Seriously? Are you sure?"

"Yes."

He removed the prayer beads from his neck, the ones that had seemed so out of place with the rest of his appearance, and the change was instantaneous. It must be a focus for a strong glamour, Sango realized as she took in his transformation.

Black hair became bright silver, his blue-gray eyes shifting to a startling gold, and nails lengthening into claws. She was sure if she looked in his mouth she would find a set of fangs. The most interesting part of his change however was a pair of dog ears atop his head in place of the human ones he had worn moments before. A set of traditional hakama pants and a haori, both in the color red, completed the picture, with a sword tucked into the sash around his waist.

So. Miroku was an exorcist, most likely a Buddhist monk if she had to guess based on the incantations he had been reciting. Inuyasha was definitely not human. Both were things Kagome quite obviously already knew. It was time for some answers. Sango looked at her best friend.

"Kagome, what is going on?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, thanks for lavendertwilight89 for being my beta and helping me with some of the dialogue <3

Sango stood there, feeling exhausted and trying to process everything.

"Kagome, what is going on?"

Kagome took a deep breath. "Inuyasha isn't actually my boyfriend. He's a half demon tasked with protecting me," she revealed. "I introduced him as my boyfriend because his existence is supposed to be known only to those at the Higurashi Shrine. He's the guardian of the forest surrounding the shrine and has been for generations."

"Miroku knows him." Sango pointed out, frowning. "And protecting you from what?"

"As a monk I’ve had dealings with the Higurashi Shrine before. Also my meeting him wasn't exactly…approved." Miroku supplied.

"Protecting you from what?" Sango repeated. "Also you're a priestess, isn't having a half demon looking after you kind of ironic?"

"It's kind of a nightmare is what it is." Inuyasha snarked, and Kagome shot him a glare.

"Honestly, while watching you two try to act like a loving couple was entertaining, I don't see why you didn't tell Sango the truth sooner." Miroku said. "If I had known she was a demon slayer I would have insisted upon it."

Sango felt strangely validated by his words.

Kagome gave a sheepish smile. She directed her words to Sango. "Yeah, I know it sounds a little strange. But my family has had an understanding with him stretching back a few centuries." Sango looked at her expectantly when she paused and she continued. "As for what he's protecting me from, that actually has something to do with the rune you mentioned finding in that abandoned house."

"What do you know about it?" Sango asked.

"It started a little over a month ago. Priests and priestesses have been getting attacked and left in comas with no hope of waking up, their vitality and spiritual powers drained. A few exorcists, too. Whoever or whatever is doing this is targeting those with great spiritual power and at every single attack there was a strange symbol left behind." Kagome explained.

"If it's a match for the ones ya say you've seen on your demon hunts, and I would bet it is, then they're all connected somehow." Inuyasha added. "The elders think Kagome could be a potential target so they've got me playin' babysitter."

Sango's heart froze in fear at the thought of that happening to Kagome. "Miroku's right, Kagome. Why didn't you tell me? I could have tried to help!" She couldn't keep the hurt from her voice.

"I wanted to tell you!" Kagome exclaimed with genuine regret. "I didn't know you had also been encountering these runes at your demon exterminations. It was thought to be a problem spiritual in nature and they wanted to keep it secret."

"Well that cat is out of the bag now." Inuyasha remarked. Kagome closed her eyes as if she was asking for patience.

"Now that I know what's going on you're not getting rid of me." Sango said.

"Wouldn't dream of it." Miroku replied. She rolled her eyes. _‘I wasn’t talking to you.’_ she didn’t say.

"Can you show me the rune? I want to go inside and take a look." Kagome asked. Inuyasha started to protest and she cut him off. "They fought and exorcised the evil spirit, okay? It's safe now! Besides between the four of us I'd feel sorry for anything that tried to attack us. It wouldn't stand a chance."

"Fine. But if anything happens I'm carrying you out at the first sign of trouble." Inuyasha said in a tone that brooked no argument.

As a group they all entered the ruin, Sango and Miroku leading the way. Kagome stumbled and Inuyasha caught her, arm around her waist.

"Be careful, would ya?"

She mumbled an apology and he held onto her a moment longer before releasing her and she held her breath at the touch. He drove her crazy but she couldn’t help her attraction to him, which was _beyond_ annoying.

“Here.” Sango said and Kagome walked up to the wall to look at the rune in interest.

“Is this your first time seeing one of these marks in person?” Sango asked in curiosity.

“I was never allowed to investigate one of the scenes before.” Kagome answered in a distracted voice. Tucking a strand of black hair behind her ear, she reached a hand up to touch the rune and closed her eyes in concentration. There was a feeling of malice coming from within it, and she reached deeper with her senses. Black magic, something tainted and twisted but also strangely familiar. She tried to follow it further, and let it lead her back to the source of this mystery. It was cloying and oily and seemed to coat the back of her throat to where it became difficult to breathe.

“Kagome!”

She gasped and came back to her senses, breathing heavily.

“Are you ok?” Sango asked in concern, hand on her shoulder.

“Yeah. Yeah I’m fine.” Kagome took a steadying breath then turned to face them. “I have its signature now. I’m confident I can now sense whenever a similar mark or the source is near.”

“You would be able to do that?” Miroku asked, impressed.

"Absolutely.”

They exited the building and Kagome turned to Sango and Miroku. “You guys should exchange numbers so we can communicate more effectively.”

Sango didn’t miss the sly smirk that Kagome threw her way as she said it. Though Sango was loath to admit it, Kagome was right. It would definitely be more practical.

“You’re right.” She agreed reluctantly. Like it or not, Miroku was now a part of this. Or maybe he had been a part of it all along. After all, it seemed like she was the last to know anything. He was also probably a potential target considering his own spiritual powers.

“Give me your phone.” She said to him, holding her hand out. Miroku couldn’t contain his grin as she input her number into his phone. “There.”

“So it seems I get to have your number after all.” He said, delighted.

“Don’t get too excited. This is strictly for business purposes only.”

“Still counts.”

She rolled her eyes again. He was impossible.

“Well as fun as this has been, I think it's time to go home now.” Kagome said, her smile tired.

“Agreed.” Sango said as they began to make their way back to the main road. When they reached it Kagome and Inuyasha went their separate ways. Then it was just Sango and Miroku.

“Mind if I walk you home?” Miroku asked.

Sango had to hold back a cutting reply. She supposed she was still annoyed from earlier in the evening. “There’s no need. As I said before, I can take care of myself.”

“I’m well aware. Still, it would make me feel better.” He replied.

Sango thought it over for a moment. It seemed they were going the same way anyways so she figured why the hell not. “Okay sure, fine. Since we’re going in the same direction anyways.”

They walked in silence for a bit. He looked more exhausted than she did and she supposed that made sense. He had not only engaged the spirit physically but spiritually too. There was a grudging respect and admiration growing in her for his skill, if nothing else. And still he had offered to walk her home. That definitely counted for something in her book, though she wasn't going to be the first to admit it.

Miroku walked beside her in silence not knowing what to say. He was definitely interested in her, and that interest had only increased after she had revealed herself to be a demon slayer and proved to be more than capable in the haunted ruin. There were so many layers to her and he wanted to unwrap every one.

She was obviously attracted to him too, that much had been apparent on her face at her first sight of him. And oh what a gorgeous face it was. Still, he had clearly stepped in it by flirting with that waitress. He hadn't meant anything by it, had said the words almost without thinking. More importantly, Inuyasha hadn’t given him the impression this was supposed to be a kind of date like Kagome clearly had to Sango. If he had known that he would have reigned in his behavior. Now she had a less than favorable view of him and he supposed he couldn’t blame her for that. He was definitely going to make the most of this opportunity of working together to change her mind, though.

“So how did you meet Inuyasha, then?” Sango asked, breaking the silence. Miroku looked at her in mild surprise that she was initiating a conversation with him. He suppressed a smile.

“I was sixteen and visiting the Higurashi Shrine with my Uncle Mushin. He was there on business and I got bored and decided to explore the grounds a bit. I went into the forest and that’s when I met him. He was stubborn at first but we eventually became friends.”

“How long did that take? He doesn’t strike me as the friendly type.”

“It took a bit for him to come around.” He admitted. “I visited when I could get away from my other responsibilities and gradually he got used to my presence, and after a while I started inviting him to join me on some of my more difficult jobs. I know he comes across as kind of an ass but he’s got a good heart. It just takes a while for him to show it."

“I’m kind of impressed you waited for him to come around. It must have taken a while.” Sango said.

“I’m a patient man.” He replied looking at her meaningfully. He could tell she definitely caught his meaning by the way she tensed slightly and quickly looked away, a slight blush on her cheeks.

“You were sixteen when you met Inuyasha…how old are you now?” She asked hastily to steer the topic to something safer. He didn’t hold back his smile this time.

“Twenty six.” He answered. “And you?”

“Twenty four.”

“So how did you and Kagome meet?” He asked, half curious and half to keep the conversation going.

“She helped save my father’s life when I was fourteen and still training to be a demon slayer. There was an...accident so we brought him to the Higurashi Shrine.” Something in her voice made him look at her more closely but she didn’t elaborate so he didn’t press her.

They continued like that for the rest of the walk, sharing bits and pieces of themselves but nothing too personal. When they reached the outside of her apartment complex, she stopped.

“Well this is me.” She paused. “Oh yeah, you probably want your jacket back. Thanks for letting me borrow it.” She said and began to take it off.

“Keep it.” Miroku said, struck with a sudden urge. He realized he liked seeing her in something of his. She stood there, covered in streaks of dirt, her hair messed up from their tussle with the evil spirit, in his jacket and he thought he had never seen anything more beautiful.

Sango looked at him and he noticed how her pink lips parted in surprise. “Keep it?” She repeated.

“I insist. It looks better on you anyways.” He winked.

“Well...if you really don’t want it back.” She said, looking a little hesitant. “Thank you.”

“My pleasure.” He flashed her one last smile. “I’ll call you.” With that he gave a wave and headed out.

“Only for business!” he heard her call out from behind him and he laughed.

~☆~

Kagome walked beside Inuyasha. It was slightly awkward since they hadn’t spent a lot of one on one time together since they met over a month ago. Most of the time they were together they spent arguing. Not to her own fault that is...

Inuyasha stopped and crouched down. Kagome looked at him curiously.

“Get on. It’ll be faster if I carry you. You’re too damn slow.” He said gruffly. Kagome looked at him in surprise. He had never offered anything like this before and she wondered why he was starting now. Still, she wasn’t about to pass his offer up.

“Uhm, ok. Thank you.” She said, slightly flustered. She climbed onto his back, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. He rose, gripping her thighs with his hands and Kagome suppressed a shiver of awareness at the touch. As they took off she rested her head against his back, thinking.

She had introduced Inuyasha as her boyfriend to Sango as a ruse but the truth was she wouldn’t mind being closer to the half demon. He drove her crazy with his attitude and how overprotective he was but she could also sense he had a good heart underneath all his bluster. He was determined to keep them at a distance, though. She wasn’t sure how to overcome his reluctance, all she knew was she wanted to. Her thoughts went to the day they first met, a month ago.

~☆~

She had heard of him, of course. As the Head Priestess of the Higurashi Shrine it was impossible not to. The knowledge of the agreement between her family and his was one of the many things passed down between the shrine heads. Their Shrine kept the forest in their name and didn’t allow for it to be sold off or built upon and in return, the inu-youkai offered the Higurashis their protection.

A month ago when priestesses and priests were turning up in mysterious comas, Kagome's grandfather had pulled her from a lot of her duties and started keeping her inside their home more and more. It made her go mad with cabin fever and finally, a family meeting was called.

She came downstairs ready to fight for her independence and her life when all of a sudden she was face to face with the most attractive man she had ever laid eyes on. He had bright amber eyes, dark brows, tall lean but muscular build, long silver hair and fluffy doggy ears. He was a demon. And he was…scowling at her. He looked annoyed. What had her family done now?

“Uhm, hi, I’m Kagome,” she said with a polite bow. “Can I help you with anything? Are you here for someone?”

“Yea--you dumbass.”

“Excuse me?”

“God this is gonna fucking suck. You’re already slow. You definitely lack in regards to your reputation.”

“I’m sorry, do I know you?”

“Nope but unfortunately you will.”

“What is that supposed to mean??”

“Guess you’ll see, little girl.”

“‘Little girl’? That’s so rude! I told you! My name is Kagome!”

“I’ll call ya by your name when you earn that kind of respect,” he snarked.

“Ugh!! Who are you and why are you showing me such--such--”

“Not much with words, are ya?”

“Mother?!” Kagome called as she was officially done dealing with this man.

“Oh, Kagome dear, we’re here in the dining room. Come on in, let us discuss the predicament.”

She watched the half demon stare her down as she entered the dining room fully and saw her grandfather, her mother, and a monk were sitting at the table.

“Kagome, this is Miroku and I see you’ve already met Inuyasha.”

“Unfortunately.” Kagome muttered under her breath.

“I fucking heard that. And back at you.” Inuyasha called. Kagome clenched her fists and counted down from ten to calm herself. She was a priestess, she was grace, she was poise, and she would not give in to the temptation to purify his ass. Instead, she turned to the monk.

“Hi! It’s so nice to meet you, Miroku. I only wish it was under better circumstances.”

“Likewise. I see you are as lovely as they say.” He replied with a charming smile.

“Fucking flirt.” Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

She took her seat at the table and they began to discuss the current situation. She discovered a few exorcists had also been attacked which explained Miroku’s presence. When it was revealed that she was to be put in the “care” of Inuyasha she couldn’t stop herself from exclaiming, “What! Him?!”

“Hey I aint too excited about it either.” Inuyasha grumbled.

Kagome just looked at her family in dismay. Her mother gave her a reassuring smile.

“This is for your protection, Kagome.” her grandfather was saying. “He is a powerful half demon and he will keep you from any harm that may befall you until we solve this mystery.”

‘For how long.’ she wanted to say but managed to hold her tongue. This was going to be a nightmare.

~☆~

She roused herself from her thoughts as she and Inuyasha approached the shrine.

“You awake back there?” He called.

“Yeah. Just thinking.”

“What about?”

“About the day we met.” She replied without thinking. Then the reality of what she had just said caught up with her and her cheeks burned. _'Great, now he knows I was thinking about him.'_

“Keh. You’re not as much of a pain in my ass as I was expecting.” Inuyasha said, kneeling down at the door so she could get off of his back. Kagome did so almost reluctantly, now deprived of her excuse to hold onto him.

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” She said with a smile. To her surprise he gave her a half smile in return.

“Go to sleep. Ya need rest.”

As she walked inside the house she felt a warm glow in her chest. Maybe she was making progress with him after all.

~☆~

Sango exited the shower with a sigh, finally feeling clean. She had gone to another demon extermination that morning and while it had been an easy job it had also been messy. And normal, as much as demon infestations were _normal_. There had been no sign of the strange rune. She toweled herself off as she continued thinking.

Kagome had made it a point to try to ask the other priests and priestesses about it but most of the ones who could answer such questions were in comas themselves. It was a little disheartening. Her friend had taken it upon herself to start poring through the scrolls at the shrine’s archive and even making trips to the local library to try to figure out what it could possibly mean.

It had been three days since she had heard from Miroku. She supposed he was off doing some investigating of his own in between his jobs. _Or flirting with other girls._ Not that she cared, she told herself.

There was nothing stopping her from calling him either, after all she had his number. He had texted her that same night with a _“Hello, this is Miroku [heart emoji]”_ (cue the eyeroll) so she had been able to add it to her phone. She had no reason to, though. Like she had told him, it was strictly for business purposes only.

She wrapped the towel around herself and walked out of the bathroom. As she entered her bedroom she heard her phone ring and looked at it curiously. Miroku’s name was on the caller ID. _'Speak of the devil'_ she thought.

“Hello, Miroku? What is it?”

“Can’t I just call to hear your lovely voice?”

A pause.

“I’m hanging up now.”

“Wait! I have information!”

Before she could stop herself she gave a short laugh at the pitiful desperation in his voice. Somehow she knew without seeing his expression he was pleased with himself at that. Oh well.

“And now I’ve had the pleasure of hearing your laughter. Today is truly a delight.”

“Didn’t you say you had information?” Sango’s tone was dry.

“Indeed, I do. I met with my Uncle Mushin and I was able to sketch a replica of the symbol we came across. The ones that keep turning up and are agitating things in the supernatural world. My uncle...likes to hit the sake too hard sometimes so I had to wait for him to sober up a bit before I could get anything useful out of him. Turns out he’s come across this rune before in one of the books he keeps.”

“And?”

“And I was almost as interested in it as I am in you.”

“Can you stop turning everything into a line?”

“I’m sorry, it just comes naturally. Besides, what can I say? You inspire me.” He replied easily. She was suddenly glad she wasn’t speaking to him face to face because, against her own will, a small smile was playing across her lips.

“By the way, which apartment are you in again?”

The smile disappeared. Confusion and wariness had taken its place.

“...Why?”

“Did I forget to mention? I’m outside your apartment complex. Care to let me up?”

“And why would I do that?”

“So I can finish telling you about the information I discovered. Also, I got us lunch. It’s your favorite.”

“How do you know my favorite?”

“I may have asked Kagome.”

Of course. That traitor. Still, if it was her favorite, well...it would be a shame to let it go to waste. And she had skipped breakfast that morning so she was starving.

“Fine. Apartment 3A. Just let me put on some clothes first. You caught me right as I got out of the shower.”

He was quiet for a moment before he replied.

“I suppose greeting me naked is out of the question.”

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”

“I would.” He agreed. “But I’ll settle for fully clothed.”

Sango rolled her eyes and hung up. She finished drying off and quickly threw on a pair of leggings, a bra, and a t-shirt. Just as she had finished dragging a brush through her hair there was a knock at the door.

Miroku was standing there waiting with the food as promised. It smelled heavenly, and she closed her eyes for a moment in bliss, hand on the doorframe. When she opened them Miroku was looking at her in amusement.

“Can I come in?”

“Right, of course. Sorry.”

She stepped back to allow him to enter, closing the door behind him. She noticed the staff in his other hand for the first time as he passed her. A long shaft of smooth wood gave way to a loop of gold on top with golden rings that clinked together as he walked. A shakujo. He must have come from a job. And he had still stopped to get her food. Dammit. She didn’t want to like him but she was starting to.

He looked around as he walked in and she felt a little self conscious. Her apartment was modest but comfortable with a few feminine touches here and there but she hadn’t had time lately to clean. Oh well, if he didn’t like it he could leave.

“This is a nice place.” He commented, leaning his shakujo against the wall and setting the food down on the table. She murmured a thanks as she joined him on the couch while he passed the food out. Then noticed he had provided drinks as well, also her favorite -- peach tea. Damn, the man was thorough.

“So tell me about this rune.” She said as they ate.

“Can’t I enjoy a meal with a beautiful woman before getting down to business?”

“Information, please. As much as I appreciate the food, this isn’t a social call.”

“What if I want it to be?”

Sango just looked at him.

“Right, then. Can’t blame me for trying. So as I was saying I made the long trip out to my Uncle Mushin's temple a couple days ago. After examining my sketch he realized he had seen it before. It's from an obscure text that only has two printings in existence."

"Wow. It's that rare?"

"Yes. And that evil." His tone sobered a bit.

"What makes it so evil?"

"It's a tome of the blackest magic known. The temple Mushin works at keeps it sealed away in a restricted section behind the strongest barriers against evil."

"So whoever is doing this likely has the second copy." Sango mused aloud.

"Exactly. Many years ago every other copy was destroyed to keep it from falling into the wrong hands. The only exceptions were one being kept at Mushin's temple and another left to the Higurashi Shrine." Miroku explained.

Sango frowned in thought. "If one was left to the Higurashi Shrine then how come Kagome or the others haven't come across it? They've been searching for days. Or actually weeks, I suppose."

"It was probably stolen." Miroku replied.

"But how? If they're protected with such strong holy barriers nothing evil or demonic could get to it."

"Unless it wasn't a demon but a person. Someone who also has spiritual powers, which would allow them to bypass the wards."

Sango looked at him in interest. "You don't mean…?"

"Yes. A priestess or priest turned dark. That's my working theory anyways."

As she turned it over in her mind it made a sort of sense. They sat in silence for a few minutes pondering the ramifications of this information. Then something else occurred to her.

"Wait. You still haven't told me what the runes themselves mean."

"It's a combination of two runes that are part of a spell for amplification and absorption."

The absorption part made sense to her. All those holy people who had had their souls and powers sucked from them...what a terrible fate. It was the other part she couldn't figure out.

"Why amplification?"

"Likely to heighten the power that is derived from the pain, fear, blood, and chaos caused by all these attacks. With black magic it's possible to channel all that darkness into power."

"What could they be doing with all this power they're gathering?" Sango wondered. "I wish we knew what the purpose of all this was."

"I don't have an answer for that yet." Miroku shrugged apologetically.

"But thanks to you we do have some answers. We know so much more than we did before." Sango gave him a genuine smile. "I admit, I'm impressed."

Miroku looked pleased at her admission but said nothing.

"What did Kagome and Inuyasha have to say about it all?" She asked.

"I haven't told them yet. They were my next stop."

Sango couldn't contain her surprise. "You told me first?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Why not?"

She fell silent. He had a point. What did it matter who was told first? Maybe it was just because she had been the last to know anything that him coming to her first with this made her feel strangely flattered.

"Did you have an exorcism to perform this morning?" She asked rather than answering him.

"I did." If he was surprised at her change of topic he didn't show it.

"You spent the last couple days traveling to uncover this information, exorcised an evil spirit right after returning, and came all the way over here to tell me in person while stopping to get me food along the way."

"Got _us_ food. I ate too." He corrected. "I hope you're going to tell me you're impressed with me again."

"I'm going to tell you that you should go home and get some rest. You've definitely earned it." She said, though she was impressed with him. "I'll call Kagome and tell her everything."

"I would appreciate that." He said gratefully, rising to his feet and grabbing his staff. "Thank you for the pleasure of your company. I should be going now."

"Yeah, yeah." Sango rolled her eyes, but she gave a small smile. "Besides, I should be thanking you. Those noodles were so good."

"If it made you happy it was worth it. I'll see you later." He said and then he was gone.

Sango sat there for a few moments after he left. If she wasn't careful he was going to find his way around her walls and into her heart, and wouldn't that be a mess?

~☆~

Kagome took a moment to process everything after ending the phone call with Sango. There was a lot she was going to have to discuss with her family. Her grandfather had never mentioned the tome of black magic to her and she wondered why. Perhaps he was unaware of the exact contents of the spellbook, or perhaps he had simply forgotten. However before she sought out her family she needed to tell Inuyasha.

Opening her window she leaned out and called his name. She knew he would hear her; he was always nearby.

"Whaddya want?"

His body filled the space in front of her as he perched on the window sill, one hand gripping the top of the window frame. He was so close they were practically nose to nose and she hastily backed up.

"Gah! You scared me!” She exclaimed, hand over her rapidly beating heart.

“Why? You’re the one that called me, remember?”

“I didn’t realize you were perching up on top of the roof of my bedroom!”

“Whatever; what did you need?”

“I just got off the phone with Sango. Miroku learned a lot about the runes from his visit with his Uncle Mushin." She said as if he hadn't just been close enough for her to kiss him.

"Yeah and?"

Instead of answering she just looked at him for a moment. In the time they had known each other he never entered her bedroom, like there was some kind of invisible barrier he refused to cross. It perplexed her. What was the big deal?

"Aren't you going to come inside?"

"What, you mean into your room?? The hell would I do that for?"

"So we can talk like two civilized people."

"Well I'm fine right here."

"Would you just get inside?! God!" Kagome exclaimed, losing patience.

Inuyasha scowled at her. She scowled back. Then sighed.

"Please. Just come in. It's chilly today and I don't want to keep the window open."

Kagome didn't think that would sway him but apparently something in her face or voice must have convinced him. He climbed in slowly then shut the window behind him.

"Do you just go inviting every guy you meet into your room?" He added as if he was jealous.

“Uhm, no? Why would you ask such a thing?” She questioned, crossing her arms in front of her chest and pinning him with a glare for such a pointed question.

“Just wondering why you think it’s okay to invite a man into your bedroom where you sleep.”

"Why are you making this weird? This is the 21st century! It's not a big deal."

"Listen, you're a priestess. You shouldn't be letting strange half breeds into your bedroom."

"I'm not."

"The hell you're not. Hello?? What do ya call what you're doing right now?"

"You're not strange. I know you and I trust you."

For some reason that admission from her caused him to sputter a bit. He regained his bearings soon enough, though.

"Oh yeah? And what if I tried somethin' on ya, huh?"

"You wouldn't. Not unless I asked you to and even then you'd probably fight me about it." She said sincerely. Her faith in him was unwavering. She just simply knew he would never hurt her. Mentioning that she could probably fry him with her power if he did something she didn't like didn't seem necessary. "Besides you're supposed to protect me or did you forget? It would be silly not to trust you."

Inuyasha looked at her closely. "If you asked me to? What exactly is it you want me to do to ya?" He smirked.

"Nothing!" Kagome blushed, realizing too late what she had said. "Anyways don't you want to know what I found out?”

“Changing the subject are we?”

“L-look! We both know you have no interest in doing anything like that with me okay? Stop teasing me--just drop it!” She yelled, embarrassed by her slip up and his continual poking at the subject. “Anyway Miroku told Sango a lot of interesting things. That mark we keep seeing is part of a spell that’s found in a book of the blackest magic around and there were only two on record. He thinks the one at the Higurashi Shrine was stolen, possibly by a priest or priestess that turned dark. If they had spiritual powers that would explain how they could circumvent all the barriers against evil that a book like that would be guarded with.”

Mercifully Inuyasha did not mention it again and instead appeared to be thinking these new revelations over. “If the barriers protect against evil then how come this priestess or whatever was able to waltz the fuck in? They’re still evil.”

“The wards probably only protect against anything with a demonic aura. Most priests and priestesses that resort to black magic have dealings with demons and that residual aura would cling to the practitioner and be enough to make it impossible to enter. This person must not have done that until they got their hands on the book.” Kagome replied.

She went on to explain the rest of the information Sango had gotten from Miroku. There was a lot they knew now that they didn’t know before. However there were still just as many unanswered questions now as answered ones. And the biggest mystery still remained as to what the person responsible for this ultimately hoped to attain.

When she was done explaining everything Inuyasha didn’t say anything for a minute. Then--

“Well fuck.”

Kagome agreed with him wholeheartedly.

~☆~

Sango awoke with a start. After her heart rate slowed to a more reasonable rhythm she groaned and covered her face with a hand. Seriously? She was dreaming of him? It didn’t seem to matter that she continually told herself she wasn’t interested in him or that she had only known the man for a week. Apparently her brain had decided it was going to torture her by giving her dreams of him that she would never let herself act upon. Turning over she buried her face into her pillow and sighed.

She had seen him a couple more times since he had brought her lunch a few days ago. Both times had included more offerings of food followed by conversation and sharing of theories regarding the situation. While she had been hesitant to associate with him outside of the whole rune business something had made her agree. That small part of her, that weakness in her for him that had taken residence since she had first seen his face, was surely to blame.

He was incredibly easy to talk to and she found herself opening up to him a little. After seeing the pictures placed around her apartment he had asked questions about her family and she had told him about the death of her mother, her stern but loving father, and the little brother she adored and doted upon. In return he shared parts of his own life with her. She learned he had been raised by his Uncle Mushin outside the city. His mother was out of the picture, and his father died when he was a child.

Surprisingly he had kept the one-liners to a minimum but they hadn’t completely vanished from his vocabulary. She still rolled her eyes at them but now they were starting to make her smile in spite of herself. It would be so easy to give in to the feelings he arose in her that she fought so hard against...but she refused. A man like him was probably not used to being turned down. Repeatedly. She was just a challenge to him. At least that’s what she told herself to feel better about keeping their relationship firmly professional.

Professional. Yeah, right. She was pretty sure that line was already getting blurred. Her dream was further proof of that. Miroku just had a way of getting her to lower her defenses. It was dangerous.

Her phone started ringing and she sat up, registering for the first time what had awoken her in the first place. It had definitely not been that...rather detailed dream. She had been fully invested in that, much to the pleasure of her subconscious and dismay of her waking consciousness. Looking at the caller ID she saw it was Kagome. Sango had apparently slept through her first attempt to call.

“Hello?” She answered, voice still heavy with sleep.

“Sango! Wait, were you asleep?”

“Mmyeah. Why, what’s up?”

“You realize it’s six in the evening.”

“I’m sensing some judgement right now.” Sango yawned. “My demon extermination earlier was tiring. I took a nap. What is it?”

“I’m sorry but you’re going to have to get your armor back on. I sensed the signature of a rune nearby.”

Just like that Sango was fully alert, sleep and dreams forgotten. There was a battle to fight.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thanks to lavendertwilight89 for being my beta <3

It had been decided to meet at Sango’s apartment and from there they all would search out the location of the rune with Kagome guiding them. Kagome had said that there was an overwhelming feeling of malice coming from the point of origin...more than had been present at the abandoned ruin they had encountered a week before. While there could be no way of knowing exactly what had occurred at the previous attacks, this was undeniably worse than what they had already come across. Whatever this was it was big.

Miroku had been the first to arrive, armed with his holy staff and sutras, and waited while Sango got dressed in her demon slayer gear. Between the staggering evil Kagome was sensing and what was known about the runes, they all wanted to be prepared for the impending altercation that was sure to take place. 

He hadn’t had too many dealings with the slayers before, seeing as his line of work dealt almost entirely with the spiritual side of supernatural problems. Despite this he knew the outfit was a complicated mix of leather, armor plates at the vitals and joints, with various vials and compacts of poisons and powders tucked away into hidden spaces. While he knew in theory what the outfit consisted of he had never had the pleasure of seeing it worn in person, especially not by someone with Sango’s stunning physique.

When Sango exited her bedroom Miroku sucked in a breath at the sight. That skintight black leather that clung to her every curve...it was beyond enticing. There was something so incredibly sexy about it he couldn’t help but take in every inch of her lush form with his gaze. In that moment he knew he would let her do anything to him she wanted and he would enjoy every second of it. Even if it was just her kicking his ass.

He forced himself to drag his eyes away from her body to her face and saw she was looking at him. Something shifted in her eyes and he could tell she knew exactly where his thoughts had gone. He hadn’t exactly been subtle about checking her out but he was a man with eyes and she was exquisite. 

“I like the pink.” He told her, opting for something safer than what he was really thinking.  _ ‘You’re fucking hot and that leather makes me want to do bad things to you.’ _ would probably not have gone over well. The plates of her armor were a pretty shade of rose and he wondered if it was a concession to her femininity or if it was just her favorite color.

“It’s my favorite color.” Sango admitted after a slight pause confirming his suspicions, and Miroku knew she had probably expected another one-liner out of him. “I know it sounds kind of frivolous but it makes me feel more confident on the job.”

Before he could respond there was a knock and they could both hear Inuyasha through the closed door.

“Hey! Hurry the fuck up, will ya? Let’s get going!”

“Inuyasha! Would it kill you to be a little patient?!” came Kagome’s admonishment.

Sango and Miroku shared a look at their antics, a small secret smile between the two of them before she went to the door, opening it.

“There ya are. What’s the hold up?” Inuyasha said without preamble. The beads for his human glamour were back around his neck but because they all had seen his true form it had no effect on any of them. The glamour only worked so long as a person was unaware of the reality. Once that illusion was dispelled it no longer had any effect.

Kagome was standing beside him in clothes more practical for fighting than her usual attire - jeans and a long-sleeved shirt. A bow and quiver full of arrows was slung over her right shoulder and a look of determination was on her face. Around her wrist was a bracelet that no doubt was disguising her weapons from view of the average passerby.

“We’re ready.” Sango reappeared by his side, her hair tied back in a high ponytail and he noticed the large weapon hoisted across her back, almost as tall as she was. It was in the shape of a boomerang and if he had to guess he would say it was made of demon bone, with brown leather straps at both ends to grip it. Such a weapon had to be heavy but she carried it with ease. He became impressed with her all over again.

Setting out, they followed Kagome, letting her take the lead as she focused on the location of the rune. She had explained that it gave off a feeling, almost like an aura that allowed her to trace it across the city. Finally, she stopped outside of what looked to be a condemned warehouse in the more run down part of the city just as the sun was setting.

“It’s here. I feel it.” Kagome’s voice was full of trepidation. 

Even without her words it would have been obvious. The sheer evil emanating from the place was palpable. As a whole they all readied their weapons and approached the structure, Inuyasha taking the lead. Considering he was the most resilient of the four of them no one fought him on it. The heavy metal door, rusted with disuse, swung open with a creak. 

“Inuyasha, we should be careful. We don’t know what’s waiting for us.” Miroku warned.

“You think I don’t fucking know that?” The half demon scoffed. “Besides this aint nothing I can’t handle.”

_ ‘I wish I had that kind of confidence.’ _ Miroku thought, sighing.

Cautiously, they entered. Immediately upon crossing the threshold the scent of blood was unmistakable, even to Miroku’s human nose. Shafts of the remaining light of day crept forward from the busted out windows along the walls, helping to illuminate the emptiness inside. It stretched wide, the remnants of what was probably once a bustling business years ago. But the years hadn’t been kind to the place, cracked concrete and chipped paint accentuated by spots of mold and mildew. And worst of all, the decaying bodies towards the back wall, cast halfway into shadow. Underneath the stench of blood was the fetid smell of rot.

“There’s so much blood. Those bodies...” Kagome said in a slightly horrified voice.

“Yes. Likely killed by whatever demon is currently inhabiting this place.” Sango said, her expression grim.

“Where the fuck is it though?” Inuyasha growled.

As they warily made their way deeper inside Miroku’s eyes adjusted to the darkness and he suddenly noticed the thick cobwebs all around. At first he had discounted them as merely vestiges from the deterioration of the place but there were so many, the strands thicker than anything a normal spider could produce. Now that they were closer he could see the dead bodies were pale and bloated, and almost as white as the filaments of web they were cocooned tightly within. Red stained the floor around them where no doubt the victims had struggled before being overtaken by the spider demon. 

Next to the carcasses were white sacs with bulges that shifted every few seconds, ensconced in more web. There had to be at least twenty of them that Miroku could see and it made his skin crawl. They could only be one thing. Spider egg sacs. This was going to get messy.

“Spider demons. Such nasty things.” Sango commented beside him.

“Ew! Are those…?” Kagome didn’t finish the question but they could all see where her line of sight was. She had also noticed the eggs sacs and was staring at them with revulsion. 

“It’s just some fucking spiders. Big deal. I’ll squash them then hunt down the bastard that’s behind all this.” Inuyasha said with his usual bravado.

About midway into the building they still hadn’t seen any sign of the rune but it was a big place. Wherever it was, no doubt it was feeding all the negative energies straight to the person responsible for orchestrating this carnage. Blood sacrifice was the strongest source of power for black magic so Miroku was hardly surprised but it made the scene no less disturbing.

He felt something wet drip onto his shoulder and, with a bad feeling, turned his head to look. He reached up with his free hand to dip his fingers into the fluid and inspect it although he already knew. Blood mixed with some kind of clear fluid…

Sango glanced his way and noticed what he was looking at then locked eyes with him. Understanding dawned. As one they turned their eyes upward and the scene that greeted their gaze was an even worse horror.

More corpses hung from the ceiling suspended from strands of spider silk, dripping blood and what was possibly the remnants of the demon’s poison. The ceiling was covered with the largest spider web he had ever seen and right in the middle of the net was the mother spider demon. It was huge, her body glistening and black, legs splayed across her massive web. The humanoid head had a mane of black hair and was wearing an ugly sneer full of teeth, red eyes trained right on them.

“Look up! It’s on the ceiling!” Miroku called out.

Sango slung her weapon from her back, preparing to throw it while Kagome yelped and Inuyasha readied his sword. The spider demon scuttled from its perch towards the wall where the other bodies and eggs lay, moving with surprising quickness. 

Sango threw her weapon with a battle cry of, “Hiraikotsu!” and the spider demon leapt from the ceiling to the ground at the same time, narrowly avoiding it. The demon knocked it with one of its legs throwing her boomerang off course and into the egg sacs. It landed with a thud and there was the sound of the sacs ripping. Black bodies began pouring out of them.

“Shit. I had a feeling this was going to happen.” Miroku said in resignation as they watched the spider demon babies crawl towards them. There were hundreds. 

“Get them, my children!” The demon hissed as she used her legs to rend the remaining egg sacs open, and the whisper of thousands of legs and bodies scurrying around filled the air.

“Fuck, if I could use the Wind Scar this would be so damn easy.” Inuyasha griped as he leapt forward to meet the mother spider in battle. Miroku agreed; with the modernization of everything using an attack that powerful risked leveling the entire building they stood in, and possibly part of the surrounding structures. Not to mention exposing demonkind to humanity, which would have serious repercussions.

“Inuyasha!” Kagome called out, running after him while casting her gaze about, no doubt still searching for the location of the rune in the huge place.

“Miroku, we should let Inuyasha handle the mother spider and take control of the babies!” Sango called as she drew her sword, cutting a path through the demon spawns, trying to make her way to where her main weapon, Hiraikotsu, lay.

“I was about to suggest the same thing.” Miroku agreed, swinging his staff as they began to be overtaken by the massive outpouring of spider babies. Hundreds. Possibly even bordering on a thousand...the sheer number of them was overwhelming. Miroku took a moment to wonder what would have happened if they hadn’t discovered the scene...the city would have been literally overrun.

Numbers were against them, that much was becoming apparent as they fought against the press of bodies. Miroku’s shakujo burned with holy power where it struck the demons, but there were just so many. Next to him Sango was wielding her wakizashi with expert skill, her movements smooth and practiced, but for every two she cut down ten more took their place. It was never ending. He reached into the jacket he was wearing and pulled out a set of holy sutras and flung them at the demons, activating them with his spiritual powers. The move took out a considerable amount but it was like a drop in the bucket for how many they still faced.

“Miroku, cover your mouth and nose!” Sango suddenly called, and he instantly obeyed, trusting her and creating a barrier with his power to shield them. Without him noticing she had equipped her slayer mask, retrieving a vial of some kind of poison from one of her hidden pouches. She threw it down upon the ground and into the swarm before them. It shattered, releasing a blue cloud that began to spread across the demons. Where it touched the demons started to convulse and cease their movements.

Taking advantage of the momentary reprieve they rushed forward. There were still hundreds attempting to crawl and bite their way at them but they continued to move, Miroku throwing out more sutras and slamming his staff down into the fray while Sango hacked away at them. Even though the situation was serious he still wished he could take a moment to simply stop and watch her. Her movements were so fluid, like a dance of death, and it was captivating.

Just as they had almost reached their goal, the webs all around them shifted suddenly. Shooting out from behind them the strands wrapped themselves around Sango’s leg. Miroku saw it coming and attempted to break the hold with his shakujo, and while it severed part of it, the filaments burning from the holy power, they still held firm. More webs shot out and knocked him to the side. Sango attempted to cut away at the web surrounding her with her sword but more just took their place. As she was dragged upwards more encircled her arms, trapping her movements. She struggled against her bonds and they just gripped her tighter. 

“Sango!!” Miroku cried out, his heart missing a beat.

  
  


Kagome had run after Inuyasha when he leapt forward to fight the spider demon head on. Spiders sickened her but she forced herself to concentrate. This was no time to be acting scared. She had a job to do. Besides, she had Inuyasha with her. Even though his attention was being taken up by his fight with the mother spider she trusted that he was fully aware of her safety. Or at least she hoped he was. Preparing her bow with an arrow she stood by and attempted to hone her senses. Where was it…?

There.

“Inuyasha! The marking! It’s back there, on the far wall!” Kagome yelled, already on the move. Almost instinctively she knew she had to destroy it. Break the connection that had been formed between the corruption taking place here and where all that negative energy was flowing. Right now it was a conduit, feeding power to the person at the other end of the spell.

“I’m a little busy here!” Inuyasha shouted back, blocking a strike from one of its legs with his sword while flipping to dodge another one coming at him from behind. With a grunt he sliced his sword to the side and severed one of its legs, diving beneath its abdomen to slash at the vulnerable underbelly. Screaming in pain at the dismemberment, it rose up on its two back legs, the thing faster than it had any right to be, and avoided his attack. 

“Dammit!” Inuyasha cursed, rolling to his feet in one smooth move and vaulting to stand atop it just as webs shot out to surround him. They wrapped around his sword arm, cutting off his downward swing.

“Inuyasha!” Kagome stopped, taking aim with the arrow already notched onto her bow. She fired and the arrow flew true. Leaving behind a trail of pink it shot towards its target and struck right at the point where the strands were connected to Inuyasha, freeing him.

“Cutting it a little close there, don’t ya think?! You almost hit me!" He called to her as he avoided more webs.

“Except I didn't! A simple thank you would be nice!” She snapped back.

Inuyasha didn’t bother to reply as his attention was consumed again by his fight with the spider demon; so Kagome continued on her way to the rune. As a priestess she could take care of herself and clearly Inuyasha didn’t need or appreciate her help anyways. 

She was almost at the back wall where the rune was engraved into the concrete when she became aware of the sounds of scuttling behind her. Looking over her shoulder in horror and already knowing what it was, Kagome saw the demon spider babies advancing on her. With a surge of adrenaline she raced the rest of the way and reached it just as the demons reached her. In one smooth motion she grabbed an arrow from her quiver and notched it as she turned around firing, facing the onslaught. It cut a path through the swarm in front of her and she breathed a sigh of momentary relief.

Her sacred arrow didn’t stop them from coming though, and she found herself firing arrow after arrow. No matter how many she killed there were more to take the place of their dead siblings. The rune needed to be destroyed, she knew this as well as she knew her own name. Finally, with a cry of frustration she stopped in her assault and slammed her right hand onto the rune, her left hand still gripping her bow tightly. Her power flared, engulfing the bow in the pink halo of light with her spiritual power and simultaneously channeling power through herself into the rune to purify it. 

Using her bow as a focus Kagome formed a barrier around herself. Where the demons hit it they burned but that didn’t seem to stop them. They kept pressing in on her until they killed themselves, suicide by purification, and more crawled over the ashes to continue the charge.

Gritting her teeth she maintained her barrier while she turned her attention to the mark her right hand was pressed upon. Again she felt that thick oily sensation of evil coating the back of her throat and she fought against it. It almost seemed to reach within her attempting to taint her with its malevolence and Kagome only intensified her power, refusing to be corrupted. She was gaining ground, but with her focus split between the preservation of her barrier and the purification of the rune she couldn’t destroy it. This would require everything of her, and she simply wasn’t able to do that if she wanted to keep her barrier up.

_ ‘Screw that.’ _ she thought,  _ ‘I’m stronger than this. I can do this.’ _

  
  


“Sango!!”

Sango heard Miroku’s cry as she was lifted up by the webs wrapping more and more tightly around her. With her arms trapped she could no longer swing her wakizashi to free herself, and it hung from her hand, useless.  _ Dammit. _ She hated spider demons. 

Triggering the hidden blades at her wrists, the curved knives sprung out and sliced through the strands enveloping her arms. In the same breath she pitched her weight forward and used her now-free sword arm to cut through the remaining webs that had captured her leg. No longer restrained she continued the movement into a somersault as she fell, resheathing her blades in the process. It was a long way down and she risked spraining her ankle but it was better than the alternative; become another sacrifice for the spider demon and her children.

She let out a soft  _ oof _ as she landed, but it wasn’t the landing she was expecting. Instead of the shock of landing on hard concrete vibrating up her legs as her feet struck the ground she felt strong arms wrap around her and a very masculine grunt rumble through the warm chest she was pressed up against.  _ Miroku must have caught me… _ she barely had time to think. Before she could fully register the position she found herself in, the spider babies began to encroach upon them.

“Sango! Are you ok?” Miroku’s voice came right by her ear, his breath hot. With one arm still braced around her he used the other one to swing at the demons while setting her down onto her feet. One of the demons managed to avoid his staff and jumped at him, landing on the side Sango was not being held against. Miroku let out a pained sound and Sango quickly slashed down at it with one of her wrist blades but not fast enough. It fell away, the damage done and Sango could see the blood beginning to spread from where its tiny fangs had pierced him. 

“Miroku!!” 

“I’m fine.” He told her as he held out his shakujo and focused his spiritual power on the formation of a barrier. A thin blue shield encircled them, but despite his words Sango could see the beads of sweat forming on his temple and the strain on his face. The spider babies continued to attempt to get at them but with Miroku’s power protecting them they were untouchable.

“I’m sorry but to keep you inside my barrier I have to keep you near.” Miroku told her, still holding onto her and beginning to move them forward. “Inuyasha should defeat the mother spider soon and once we retrieve your weapon you can impress me some more with your slayer prowess.” He joked weakly.

“Miroku…”

The spider bite had to have had some venom to be affecting him this much, and she felt guilty. If he hadn’t taken his attention away from the fight to catch her he wouldn’t have gotten injured. As they made their way to where her weapon lay she could feel him begin to lean more heavily on her. It was concerning. Finally they were at the wall where her Hiraikotsu lay amongst the corpses and empty egg sacs. She lifted her weapon up and turned to Miroku. His entire side was stained red where he bled and his face was pale.

“Keep your barrier up, I’m going to fight them.”

Before he could respond she left him propped against the wall and slipped from his arms to face the demons. In one smooth motion she threw her weapon and cut a swath through the hordes facing them.

  
  


_ ‘Stupid fucking modernization of the world and stupid fucking demons.’ _ Inuyasha thought in irritation as he fought the mother spider. He hated not being able to use his sword’s full power; what use was the thing if he couldn’t even use it like it was meant to be used? Yet again, he would have to rely on himself but that was nothing new.

The damn thing kept chittering at him maniacally every time he missed and it was pissing him off. He was over it. It and all its damn babies needed to die and they needed to die now. Finally gaining the upper hand he leapt upwards, dodging more strikes from its remaining five legs and the gnashing of its fangs. A wave of web shot out at him and caught his left arm in its grip but wasn’t enough to stop the killing stroke of his sword. With one final slash Inuyasha beheaded the mother spider, putting an end to the fight.

“...Ba….kiiii…..” The demon croaked before the life faded from its eyes.

The webs around his arm loosened at the death of their mistress and Inuyasha pulled them off of him in disgust. Mission accomplished, he turned his attention to his companions.

Sango was throwing that giant boomerang weapon around killing spider babies left and right and Miroku had a barrier surrounding him, looking the worse for wear. Inuyasha could smell his blood and the demon poison but his friend was still alive so he figured any worrying could wait until the danger had passed. He turned to them and called out, “Hey! You guys good there?”

“Doing great, Inuyasha. Thanks for asking,” came Miroku’s sarcastic response. 

Sango didn’t bother to reply and just kept slaying demons, and Inuyasha had to admit she was damn good at what she did. She moved like a well-oiled machine. 

Where was that damn girl though…?

“Hey! Where the fuck is Kagome?!” 

Even as he asked the question, Inuyasha could smell her scent coming from the opposite side of the building.

“She followed you when you decided to fight the mother spider.” Miroku answered, his breathing more labored now. 

Inuyasha wasn’t listening anymore, was already running towards the far wall where he could see Kagome. The pink glow of a barrier surrounded her while she held her ground against the horde attempting to break through her defenses. What the hell? It was his job to protect her, his duty and she ran off with a whole host of demons on her tail. Did she have no regard for her own safety? He grudgingly admitted to himself that she was doing a good job of keeping them off of her but she couldn't maintain it forever. She had to know that.

He made quick work of the remaining demons and Kagome released her barrier with a gasp of relief. She opened her eyes fully and he was swallowed up in her gaze for the space of a heartbeat. She annoyed the hell out of him but damn if she didn’t find ways to get under his skin, and not always in an unpleasant way.

“Hey what exactly do you think you’re doing here, huh?” He demanded.

“Destroying the rune.” She answered shortly, turning all her focus onto the aforementioned rune her right hand was placed over. It was a nasty piece of work; he could smell the black magic pouring from it in waves. It was acrid and foul. If Kagome said it needed to be destroyed then he trusted her enough to believe her. Trust…

As he sheathed his sword his thoughts went back to that day she had invited him into her bedroom. She had told him she trusted him implicitly. And she had said it so easily, with no hesitation like it should have been obvious. That wasn’t something he was used to hearing, especially not from someone like her - a priestess. Sure he had an agreement with her family but it didn’t guarantee something like trust. That was something that didn’t come to him easily and it was difficult for him to understand how she could extend something as precious as that so readily.

  
  


Kagome’s power flared and she focused everything she had on the purification of the rune. Now that Inuyasha had killed the rest of the demons she didn’t have to split her attention and power in half trying to accomplish two things at once. She had been getting close, but it was definitely taking its toll on her. Her legs were starting to get wobbly from her sustained assault.

With a final burst she poured her all into the rune, purifying it and rendering it useless and inert. As the purity of her power consumed the black mark Kagome heard a scream of outrage echoing inside her head. 

_ ‘You meddling little girl...you and your friends are next…!’  _ a shrill feminine voice shrieked. And then it was gone and she was alone inside her own head again and she was  _ so tired _ .

Kagome took a step towards Inuyasha and before she realized what was happening her legs gave out. All at once the exhaustion of the confrontation hit her and her vision went a little fuzzy. She had used more energy than she realized, fighting a battle on two fronts for as long as she had.

Warm arms enveloped and supported her while she struggled to regain her bearings.  _ Inuyasha _ . With a sigh she buried her face into his chest for a moment. She just needed a moment. Surely that wasn’t too much to ask for. 

“Kagome! Hey, Kagome!! Don’t you faint on me!”

There was genuine concern in his voice and she thought she must really be tired because she had to be imagining it. This was Inuyasha, afterall. With an effort she opened her eyes and lifted her head, pulling back slightly to meet his golden gaze. For a moment she was speechless. He was looking at her in actual worry, brows creased. As she stared he moved one of his hands to cradle her face.

“Hey! You ok?”

“Yes. Just tired...used a lot of power.” She finally replied.

At her answer he removed his hands from her and she felt bereft for a moment at the loss of his touch. Her strength was returning though so she was able to stand on her own two legs again. It was over. For tonight anyways.

  
  


Sango finished off the last of the demons with a speed she didn’t know she possessed. There was an ever present worry for Miroku in the back of her mind as she fought and the quicker they killed these demons the quicker they could get him patched up and healed. The guilt continued to eat at her. If she was a more talented slayer the webs would never have even caught her and Miroku would never have been injured.

When the last one lay in its death throes Sango rushed back to the monk’s side as he dropped his barrier, removing her slayer mask while settling Hiraikotsu across her back and kneeling beside him. He looked at her and gave a weak smile and she didn’t return it. There was no way she could smile seeing him like this.

“Hang on, Miroku.” She told him as she wrapped one of his arms around her shoulders and stood, helping him to his feet. He leaned on her heavily, his breathing ragged in her ear.

“My dear Sango...is that worry in your voice for me?” He quipped. 

“Yes. And shut up. Now isn’t the time to be making jokes.”

“Sorry.” He laughed feebly. “But I’m honestly touched by your concern.” 

Before she could respond again Inuyasha and Kagome had made their way to them. Sango felt relief at the sight of the rest of their companions. Now they could get out of here and get Miroku the treatment he needed.

“Miroku! What happened?” Kagome gasped as she caught sight of him and noticed his condition for the first time.

“Probably got bit. Idiot.” Inuyasha answered but he said it mildly, no heat in his words. He came around to the other side of Miroku and helped Sango support his weight.

“He’s not an idiot. It was my fault.” Sango snapped, not in the mood.

“First your concern, and now you’re defending me...am I dreaming?” Miroku joked. 

“I swear, if you keep making jokes I’m going to drop you.” Sango warned.

“Like I said-- an idiot.” Inuyasha remarked. Sango didn’t argue with his assessment this time. Miroku sighed in defeat.

“What are we going to do about all these demon corpses? There’s just so many.” Kagome worried. “If someone were to come upon them…”

“I’ll call the slayers in the morning and get them to take care of the removal of the bodies.” Sango replied. “Right now I’m more concerned about Miroku.”

“Of course. He comes first.” Kagome agreed. “Where should we be taking him?”

“Sango’s place is closer than mine.” Miroku input, his voice strained. His hair was damp with sweat.

Night had fallen across the city as they emerged from the abandoned warehouse. They made their way to Sango’s apartment as quickly as they could, avoiding detection from all human passersby. Fortunately thanks to the shroud of darkness night offered it was easily accomplished. Once they walked into her place she and Inuyasha brought him to her bedroom and laid him down onto her bed.

After he was settled Sango removed his jacket and grabbed a pair of scissors from her kitchen drawer to cut off his shirt so they could see the full extent of the damage. She had Kagome go grab her first aid kit while she set about her task. 

“I hope you weren’t too attached to this shirt.” She told him as she began to cut the material away.

“If you wanted me naked in your bed all you had to do was ask.” Miroku joked back weakly.

“I thought I told you now wasn’t the time for jokes.” Sango replied sternly. Inuyasha was right. He  _ was _ an idiot. Nevertheless, the fact he was still able to crack his one-liners was a good sign and she took a little comfort in that.

Once she was done removing his shirt she took a good look at his chest and grimaced. It was bad. The wound on his left side was still oozing blood, but worse than that and much more concerning were the streaks of purple radiating out from the site of the wound that spoke of the infection from the demonic poison. This would require a purification or it would spread to his heart and likely kill him.

Kagome returned with the first aid kit and got her first real look at the wound. “Oh no. I’m going to have to perform a purification,” she said, confirming Sango’s thoughts.

Inuyasha roused himself from where he leaned against the open bedroom door. “With what power? You’re already wiped out from the fight! You almost fainted, or did you forget?”

Kagome scowled. “I’m not that weak. I’m a Head Priestess, or did  _ you _ forget? I just needed a moment to collect myself and I’m fine now.”

“Can’t we take him to the shrine and get someone else to do it?” Inuyasha argued.

“There’s no time!” Kagome burst. “Do you want him to live?? Because if I don’t do this now he’s not going to. I know you’re just trying to look out for me because that’s your job but I’m perfectly capable, ok?”

Sango glanced at Miroku and saw his eyes had closed, his breaths coming in short pants. 

“Isn’t Miroku supposed to be your best friend?” She asked, growing a little angry with Inuyasha. She couldn’t fault him for trying to protect Kagome, but at the expense of his best friend?

“Hey, don’t get me wrong. Of course I don’t want him to die. That stupid monk and I go way back and I’ve saved his ass more times than I can count. It doesn’t mean I don’t care what happens to him but my obligation to Kagome and her family comes first.”

“I’m not arguing with you about this.” Kagome told Inuyasha. She knelt on the left side of the bed and placed her hands over Miroku’s wound. Sango sat on the edge of the bed on the other side and before she could think better of it grabbed Miroku’s hand, holding it tightly. It was cool to the touch. 

Memories of a similar situation with her father were surfacing in her mind. Against her will she was starting to become emotional. Miroku had put himself at risk to catch her, to protect her. Why had he done that…? The man had only known her for a week. She barely gave him the time of day and yet he put his life on the line for hers. More and more it seemed she may have misjudged him. 

Kagome set about purifying the spider bite, a pink glow coming from her hands as she focused her power into his wound. Miroku grimaced and Sango imagined it had to be painful. His eyes opened and locked with hers and she couldn’t bring herself to look away from his indigo stare. She wondered what she looked like to him right now. Was her face as open and vulnerable as she was feeling inside at that moment? 

Several long minutes passed and finally the demonic poison from his injury was gone. Finished, Kagome stood unsteadily and Inuyasha came over to help her. Without a word he picked her up and she didn’t protest. She had to be bone tired. Sango noticed how carefully Inuyasha cradled her in his arms and wondered if perhaps there was something there between them after all. As the half demon carried Kagome from the bedroom Sango turned her attention back to the monk lying half naked in her bed. He was still looking at her, but there was the smallest smile playing across his lips now. Swallowing, Sango released his hand and went to get the first aid kit left on her dresser. He let her hand go after one final squeeze.

Carefully, she cleaned the wound and wiped away all the blood. She tried to keep her ministrations professional and definitely tried  _ not _ to notice how perfect his abs were as she worked. He had an undeniably nice body and she was a woman so she couldn’t be blamed for appreciating it, she told herself. It was perfectly natural.

Reaching a hand under his back she prompted him to sit up while she wrapped bandages around him. He placed a hand on her shoulder to steady himself as she patched him up. When she was finally done she helped him lay back down and she could see the exhaustion on his face. This night had definitely taken its toll on him. 

Without thinking she reached a hand up and stroked his hair, wiping away the sweat and brushing his bangs from his forehead. As she started to withdraw her hand he caught it with one of his own. She glanced at him in surprise.

“If you don’t mind, I’d like to continue holding your hand.” Miroku told her. Searching his face she found no trace of his usual humor. It was an honest request. Blushing, she swallowed and nodded her consent before finding her words.

“I suppose. After all, it’s my fault you were injured.”

“Sango. Don’t blame yourself.” He told her seriously, then smiled, “Besides, I had to protect that flawless body of yours.”

“Go to sleep before I knock you out myself.”

“As my lady wishes.”

Sango rolled her eyes but she didn’t let go of his hand. His eyes closed and eventually his breathing evened out into the steady rhythm of sleep. Vaguely she heard the door to her apartment open and close and could only assume Inuyasha was taking Kagome home. Her own eyes began to grow heavy and before she knew it she was asleep as well.

  
  


Gradually she began to wake up, and her first thought was to wonder when her pillow became so firm. Not that it mattered, whatever she was resting upon was warm and comfortable and she gave a soft sigh of contentment and burrowed in deeper. A hand brushed through her hair gently and with a jolt of realization the previous night came back to her. She gave a soft gasp as her eyes opened and the hand stroking her hair stilled.

“You awake?” Miroku’s voice asked.

She had passed out next to him, her chest pressed against his side, her head on his own very naked chest, still holding his hand. The intimacy of their positions was not lost on her and she blushed as she slowly lifted herself up to look at him. Hesitantly she met his eyes and her heart began to pound so hard she wondered if he could hear it too. There was none of his usual teasing flirtatiousness present, instead she saw a gentle affection...and heat. She swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry.

“Good morning.” He said, and his accompanying smile made her breath catch.

“M-morning.” She managed. “I’m sorry, I...I didn’t mean to fall asleep on you.” This was so embarrassing. She should get up right now but she couldn’t seem to make herself move.

“I assure you I’ve enjoyed every second of it.”

“I...I’m...” ‘ _ I’m sure you did’ _ she wanted to say but couldn’t get the words out.

If she leaned forward just a little more...their lips would touch. It was such a tempting thought. And she knew he wouldn’t mind in the slightest. His lips looked so inviting and she licked her own reflexively. His gaze shifted to her lips at that and Sango held her breath. She couldn’t believe how much she wanted to kiss him. Hadn’t she decided she wasn’t going to give in to him and his flirtations? It was a bad idea but it didn’t make her want it any less.

With an effort she pulled away and although she thought she saw disappointment in his eyes he let her go. For her it wouldn’t be just a kiss and she wouldn’t do that to herself. It was dangerous how quickly he made her forget her self control. Distance. She needed distance.

“I’m glad you’re ok. I need to go call the slayers about the demon corpses. And take a shower. I’m sure you need to get home.” She said and hastily retreated from the bedroom before he could say anything else.

Barricading herself in the bathroom she made the call to her father and when she was done with that she stripped down and turned on the water. She knew she was being ridiculous, not to mention obvious about avoiding him, but she couldn’t face him right now. Her heart was still beating way too fast. Leaning against the wall she waited until she heard the door to her apartment open and close before she relaxed. He was gone.

Good. That would give her time to compose herself. Next time she saw him she would have herself back under control again. Her walls would be back up and she would no longer be thinking about how his lips would have tasted or how it had felt to be pressed up against him. Even if she was starting to...feel things for him, she wouldn’t let it show. She refused to consider the possibility that she was more than just a challenge to him. If she did that she might start hoping for things and that would be even more dangerous.

~☆~

Kagome finished dressing in a navy sweater and a simple gray skirt that landed mid-thigh and exited her bedroom, needing to talk to Inuyasha. He had said he had something important to tell her last night but she had been so damn tired he hadn't had a chance before she passed out. Her heart beat a little faster at the thought of how he must have carried her home and, more shockingly, tucked her into bed. Thinking about it made her blush a little. It was so at odds with the side of Inuyasha she was most familiar with-- brash, gruff, and kind of a jerk.

As she finished her descent down the stairs she heard the voices of her grandfather and Inuyasha. The half demon’s voice abruptly cut off at her appearance.

“Oh, there ya are. Finally.”

“Good morning. What’s going on?”

“Kagome. Inuyasha has just told me something concerning.” Her grandfather said.

“Does this have to do with the thing you said you needed to tell me last night?” She asked.

“Yeah. When I killed the demon it said somethin’ right before it died. ‘Baki’.” Inuyasha replied, crossing his arms over his chest.

Kagome’s face scrunched up in thought. “Baki? What does that mean, though?” Something suddenly occurred to her. “Oh! I almost forgot to tell you. Right when I destroyed the rune I heard a voice in my head. Like it was talking to me through the connection I had made.”

“What?! Why didn’t you say something sooner??” Inuyasha demanded, and Kagome could tell it was out of concern for her but it still annoyed her. She couldn’t help but poke the bear a little.

“I was a little busy passing out in your arms if you recall.”

“In  _ my arms _ ?” 

“That’s right. Or did someone else carry me home and tuck me into bed?”

“I-I--...W--whatever!” He sputtered, reddening a bit. “What did the voice say?”

Kagome couldn’t stop the giggle that came out, earning herself a glare. That was fine. He cared, if only just a little bit and that was enough for now.

“It was a female voice. She called me a meddling little girl and said me and my friends were next.”

“A female voice, you say?” Her grandfather asked, and they turned to look at him. “This only confirms what I have feared.”

“Grandpa, what is it?”

“Years ago there was a beautiful and powerful priestess...but she became too greedy, too vain. She turned dark. After she was found to be practicing black magic she was cast out from her shrine. Her name was whispered about throughout all the shrines as a warning. I believe the spellbook missing from our own shrine was taken by her. It seems she is now consorting with evil demons, but that is hardly surprising.”

“How do you know it’s this dark priestess, though?” Kagome questioned.

“Because Inuyasha told me the last words of the demon. ‘Baki.’ The name of this dark priestess is Tsubaki. It is too much to be a coincidence.”

“If she’s making deals with demons now then how did she manage to steal the spellbook? The aura of the demons on her should have kept her out despite her spiritual powers. They would be too tainted to break through our wards, after all.” Kagome pointed out.

“She must have an accomplice. It would certainly explain how she was able to manage so much chaos in such a short amount of time.” He replied.

Kagome was quiet for a moment. All the pieces of the puzzle they currently had were starting to fit together. 

“Hey, old man.” Inuyasha spoke up. “Do you have any idea what she’s tryin’ to achieve here?”

“Tsubaki craved power as well as eternal life and beauty, or so they say. She is a jealous and vain woman, and very dangerous. I would imagine this is all a means to accomplish her ends. It's hard to say.”

“So how do we find her?” 

“I think I have an idea.” Kagome said. “There’s a location ritual I can perform. I already know the signature of the runes she’s been leaving behind. I can use that and the residual energy left behind from the telepathic connection she opened up with me.”

“She threatened you and you’re just gonna open yourself up to her??” Inuyasha exclaimed. 

“Then what do you suggest?” Kagome shot back.

“Not that!”

“That's not an answer!”

“I don’t like it.”

“Well I’m not going to sit around and let people get hurt when I could do something to help!”

“Listen, it’s my job to protect you. Kinda hard to do that when you keep throwin’ yourself into harm’s way.”

“Then protect me. Stand guard. Do whatever you have to do. But I’m performing this ritual. You can either help me or get out of the way but you’re  _ not _ going to stop me.” Her tone was fierce. She could tell Inuyasha was surprised at her vehemence, and to be honest she kind of was too, but she wasn’t going to be kept on the sidelines of this fight. She wanted to do her part.

“Fine.” The half demon finally relented. “This is fucking stupid but fine. If you insist. But I’m gonna be with you the whole time.”

“That’s what I’m counting on.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thank you to lavendertwilight89 for being my beta. Also I love comments!

Kagome spent the rest of the day making preparations for the ritual that night. Now that they finally had more information to work with they could stop being on the defensive all the time. This was their chance to go on the offensive, to make some actual progress, take steps toward ending this all.

After her discussion with Inuyasha and her grandfather she had made a call to Sango telling her what she had learned. She had decided to let Sango relay the information to Miroku, her inner matchmaker still at work and coming up with any excuse to get them talking to each other. 

Her best friend was softening towards the monk; she could tell. She could also tell Sango would be the last to admit it, at least not out loud. She was going to fight it every step of the way. Miroku had his work cut out for him, but Kagome knew if he kept at it Sango would eventually come around. She just needed time to see what kind of man he really was and that she could really trust him. It had been so long since Sango had been in any kind of relationship or really opened herself up to someone and Kagome just wanted her friend to be happy. Miroku wasn’t like any of the guys that Sango had been with before; she somehow knew he wouldn’t hurt her like they had. If only Sango would begin to see that.

Of course Kagome wasn’t one to talk. Her feelings for Inuyasha were quickly developing from a crush into something more...real. It was easier when he had just been a total jackass, but now he was showing moments of tenderness and it was increasingly difficult to keep her feelings at bay. She found herself looking for almost any excuse to be near him, talk to him, even touch him. But she was a priestess and he was a half demon and she was sure he would never feel the same way about her the same way she was beginning to feel about him. And she was human. Even if by some miracle Inuyasha wanted her in the ways she wanted him...he was a half demon. He would outlive her. 

_‘Stop it.’_ She told herself sternly. It wouldn’t do any good to dwell on things that were impossible. She was getting ahead of herself. This was no time to be thinking about such things, either. She had a ritual to prepare for.

The rest of the day passed by quickly and soon it was night. The moon was peeking through the clouds, a crescent of light illuminating the grounds as she and Inuyasha walked across them to their destination. She had gone over the basics of the rite with him so he had some idea of what to expect. There was a shallow pool usually used for purification that she would be using for the ritual. Water was a natural conduit and would help bridge the gap between her and what she sought. 

She had dressed in a simple white kosode and nothing else, as the ritual demanded. Clothing was a worldly construct and she needed her spirit unencumbered by as little as possible. A robe currently covered her, protecting her from the chill of the night air. When they reached the building in question Kagome turned to Inuyasha.

“Okay. I’m going to stand in the water and then I’ll begin. Just stand against that wall over there.”

“Yeah, whatever.”

With that they entered and once the door closed Kagome removed her robe, setting it aside. Taking a breath she stepped into the knee-deep water. It was cold and she shivered, goosebumps forming along her skin. Looking down she realized her nipples were poking against the thin fabric of her kosode quite prominently. _‘That’s what happens when you’re cold and not wearing a bra. Great.’_ she thought. This was embarrassing. Well it’s not like Inuyasha thought about her like that anyways.

“Focus.” She whispered to herself.

“I am.” Inuyasha responded and she turned around to face him.

“Not you. I meant me. Sorry, I was talking to myself.”

“Weirdo.”

She peered at him through the dim room and he met her eyes. Then his eyes slipped lower and she could have sworn he blushed before his gaze slid back up. She swallowed. Maybe she was wrong and he was more affected by it than she realized. It was weirdly gratifying, if only because it was proof he was aware of her in _that_ way.

Quietly Kagome murmured the incantations the rite required, performing the accompanying movements with a practiced ease. The movements both centered her mind and acted as a focus for the power she was calling to her. As she moved she reached inside her for that tenuous connection to Tsubaki, the dark feeling of the runes, so her power knew what to search for. 

Incense burned in the braziers, the scent of sandalwood and lotus wafting about the small room. Kagome closed her eyes and took a deep breath, centering her thoughts and clearing her mind. Bending forward slightly she lightly trailed her fingers across the surface of the water before straightening. Taking her damp hands she brought them before her, holding them to her chest, one clutched within the other. In and out, she breathed slowly in measured breaths while she waited to reach the state of meditation that was required.

Kagome didn’t know how much time had passed but gradually her spirit began to rise up, seeking out the dark priestess. Her consciousness soared, until...almost there...

_‘Hello there. Stupid girl. Didn’t you know the target of your little ritual can reverse it back onto the castor?’_

Kagome’s eyes popped open in shock, her concentration shattered. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Yet, she couldn’t break the connection she now had open between her and Tsubaki. This was bad.

_‘I’ve been after you for a while and here you are practically offering yourself up to me. My thanks for making this so easy.’_

Feminine laughter echoed inside her head along with the impression of a red smirk and jade eyes. Kagome strained against the link between them.

 _‘You didn’t even think to shield yourself, did you? How incompetent.’_ Tsubaki mocked. 

“Screw you.” She managed to grit out, calling upon the reserves of her power to push the dark priestess from her thoughts. “Get out of my head!!”

_‘It’s too late for you anyways. I can’t wait to take your power for my own…’_

And with that the connection was severed.

“Kagome, what the hell is happening?!” 

Kagome looked at Inuyasha, noticing for the first time that he stood on the edge of the pool, looking like he was about to come in and drag her out if she didn’t answer him.

“Tsubaki, she--”

Her words were cut off and Kagome saw exactly what Tsubaki had meant. 

She felt something within her shift and realized Tsubaki must have accessed her power to lower the wards while they were connected because suddenly her and Inuyasha were faced with two demons. There was no other way for them to have gotten in, certainly not without Inuyasha noticing. She barely had time to register that fact before one of them was beside her in the water, wrapping tentacles around her. Briefly she saw Inuyasha reach for her before he himself was taken by the other demon.

  
  


“Kagome!!” 

Inuyasha called out her name as she was pulled beneath the water by one of the demons. Just as he was about to leap in after her the other ugly bastard grabbed him, dragging him away. Fuck. He had no idea how any of this had happened but that didn’t matter at the moment. Right now his main priority was to rip this fucker to shreds and save Kagome. 

Flexing his claws he slashed at the tentacle wrapped around his middle, flinging the pieces away. Blood spurted from the severed appendage but the demon only screamed and wrapped another feeler around him while biting at his shoulder.

“Get-- the-- fuck-- OFF ME!!” Inuyasha snarled, punctuating each syllable with a pull of his arms and the rending of flesh. The damn thing finally loosened its hold enough for him to slip away and he rolled to finish dislodging the demon from him. As he regained his feet he drew his sword, turning in the same breath to slice at the fucking thing. It scuttled quickly to the side, dodging the killing stroke but not fast enough to avoid having more of its tentacles hacked to pieces.

He chanced a look behind him, where Kagome was struggling with the other demon. The choppy sounds of water churning filled the air. Her head popped above the water with a loud gasp for air before she was dragged back under again. Shit. He had to make this fast or Kagome was going to drown.

“Mistress Tsubaki didn’t say the priestess was being guarded by a half breed.” The demon hissed in displeasure before lunging at him again.

“Yeah too fucking bad for you, you weak piece of shit!” Inuyasha growled. Moving swiftly he surged towards the demon and with his free arm punched it then while it was stunned swung with his sword to deliver the killing blow. Its dead body landed on the robe Kagome had left lying on the floor, blood spreading in a puddle around it. 

Turning his attention to the pool he saw that Kagome was putting up her own fight. Tentacles had been wrapped tightly around her wrists and ankles and held her under while she grappled with it. The demon’s head was hovering above her, a suction cup extended as if it was just waiting for her to open her mouth and gasp for more air to suck her soul and power away. 

The water began to emanate a pink glow and Inuyasha could almost literally _feel_ her power as she began to purify it. It screeched as its flesh sizzled but it held on tightly, refusing to let her go.

Inuyasha hesitated in indecision for a second. If he dived in now he would likely be fried by her power as well, but if he waited she could drown. She was strong; she had proven that. He had no doubt she could purify this demon. He just didn’t know if she could do that before she ran out of air. 

It was an easy choice; there was no fucking way he could let her die. And not just because it was his assigned duty. It was strange but the need to keep her _safe_ had become all-consuming. She had become...special. He didn't fucking understand it or realize when exactly it had happened but there was no denying that fact. Not to himself, at any rate.

Just as he leapt into the water the demon Kagome was wrestling with was overwhelmed by her power. It vaporized into nothing, purified. He grabbed one of her wrists, hissing in a breath as her power burned him but he didn’t let her go as he lifted her above the water. Her power receded now that the threat to her life was gone. She took in great big gulps of air, coughing up water, her eyes wild as if she was disbelieving the air was real. When they landed on him she noticed his now-scorched hand on her wrist and looked up at his face.

“Your hand! Oh my God, did I do that?” 

Inuyasha couldn’t answer because his gaze had dropped lower and-- for a long moment he couldn’t tear his eyes away. She was soaked in the aftermath of the fight making the thin white material of her kosode practically transparent. It clung to her skin, leaving very little to the imagination. His mouth went dry. 

“And your shoulder! It’s bleeding!” Kagome was saying. 

_‘I can see everything. EVERYTHING. Holy shit!’_ He thought, unable to keep himself from blushing. Finally he managed to look away and trained his eyes onto the ceiling.

“Hey! Are you listening to me??”

Inuyasha swallowed, “Yeah, I hear ya.”

“Then answer me! Why won’t you look at me??”

She was making this so difficult. He let go of her wrist and made to turn away but she grabbed his hand in one of her own. The damn girl really had no idea. 

“Have you _seen_ yourself?!” He finally burst out.

At that she looked down at herself and her pretty brown eyes widened in realization.

“Oh my God!”

She released his hand and moved to cover herself. Her eyes cast about, landing on her ruined robe. Inuyasha sighed and removed his haori, handing it to her while being careful not to look at her.

"Here. Put this on."

Kagome took it and he turned his back, giving her a bit of privacy. He heard the wet rustling of fabric as she removed the kosode and the whisper of cloth over skin as she wound his haori about her in a makeshift dress of sorts. 

“Thank you. You can turn around now.” She told him with the prettiest blush on her cheeks. 

“Ok, you want to tell me what the hell all that was about?” Inuyasha asked. He needed a topic change and fast because the image of her body was still at the forefront of his mind. His own body was going to start responding soon if he kept thinking about it. His inner demon was already clamoring at him, telling him they needed to take her right then and there.

“Tsubaki...somehow she flipped the spell back onto me and I’m pretty sure she lowered the wards with my power while in my head. I don’t think she counted on you being with me, though.”

Inuyasha felt a flash of fear for her that the dark priestess had managed to get the drop on her so easily. If he hadn’t been here…

“This is why I fucking told you I didn’t want you to do this!”

“And I told you I wasn’t going to just stand by and do nothing!”

“Did you even learn anything about her location? Or was this all a useless waste of time?!”

Kagome fell quiet and for a moment it looked like she was going to cry. Then she glared. “No, but I won’t make the same mistake with her again. I--”

Abruptly she cut off and Inuyasha followed her gaze to the body of the demon he had slain. He was about to ask her what the fuck she was looking at when he noticed it himself. Branded onto the top of its head was the rune. It only confirmed what Inuyasha had feared-- Tsubaki had intended to use this opportunity to steal Kagome’s soul and spiritual powers, leaving her in a lifeless coma like all the priests and priestesses before her. Meeting her brown eyes with his golden ones he saw the same realization register on her face.

“I need to call Miroku about this.” She said. “I don’t know why, but I have a very bad feeling.”

~☆~

Miroku finished his dinner and put his plate in the sink. Today had been rather uneventful; he had focused on resting and recovering his strength. His wound still ached but that hadn’t been the worst of it; the aftereffects from the demonic poison were still lingering. Even though Kagome had purified all traces from his body it had taken its toll. He was feeling better but he still wasn’t at one hundred percent.

He had received a call from Sango a few hours ago, and she had been painfully polite and formal. It had been a little awkward to say the least. She filled him in on what Kagome had learned during their fight the previous night and the ritual she was planning to perform that night. He had thanked Sango and hung up, not wanting to draw out the rather stilted conversation. The demon slayer was being very clear about avoiding him and although he would be lying if he said it didn’t bother him, he had no desire to push her. He would wait for her to come around.

The reason she was acting like this was obvious. Admittedly, he had been just as surprised as her to find her body pressed up against him so intimately in sleep that morning. Clearly she hadn’t meant to fall asleep on top of him but he had felt his heart swell a little bit at the sight. His interest in her was quickly turning into something more serious. Miroku was almost certain the same could be said for her but she was fighting against it for some reason. She had been about to kiss him, he was sure of it. But at the last second she had backed away and he had let her go. Like he had told her before, he was a patient man. But she was a complicated woman. He sighed.

On his way back into the living room he felt the air around him shift, and without thinking he leapt towards where his shakujo was leaning against the wall. Turning around, he tried to search out what the source of the disturbance was. At the same time his phone began to ring and he answered it while holding the staff in front of him in preparation for a confrontation.

“Hello?”

“Miroku?” Kagome’s voice was on the other end of the line. “Miroku, be careful, I was just attacked and I think you may be next. I can’t explain it, I can just feel it.”

Slowly a figure became visible in front of him and settled into the form of a beautiful woman. She had silky black hair and eyes the color of sapphires, her full pink lips stretching into a smile. The aura around her marked her as an evil spirit, and she held out an arm as if beckoning something to her. In response to the motion two demons shimmered into existence next to her. They took the shape of serpents with the head of a lion. It was not unlike the one he and Sango had faced in that abandoned house, although unlike that one these were real demons and not merely spirits. He had no idea how an evil spirit had been able to summon them but it couldn’t mean anything good. 

“Yeah I think you may be right about that.” Miroku replied, never taking his eyes off of the spirit or her demonic minions. There must have been something in his voice because Kagome’s next words were to demand if something was happening.

“Something is about to. Some assistance might be nice.” He replied before hanging up, cutting off whatever her response had been. She knew his address; he would just have to hold out until one of them arrived to help. Ordinarily this might not have been a problem but with the fight from the previous night still weighing so freshly upon his body and spirit he didn’t think he would be up to the task. Not alone anyways.

 _“Those other demons failed in capturing the priestess’s essence but you’ll do quite nicely as a consolation prize. Your spiritual power is shining like a beacon. And the package is quite...pleasing.”_ Her voice was a sibilant whisper.

“Are you Tsubaki?” Miroku asked, although he was pretty sure this was just an evil spirit the dark priestess had doing her bidding. A very powerful one from the looks of things. Perhaps even the spirit of a black witch, considering how she was still able to command power even in death.

The evil spirit laughed, amusement in her eyes. 

_“Please. As if Mistress Tsubaki would lower herself for such a task. I do believe I shall enjoy myself quite thoroughly, though. You look positively delicious.”_

It was faint but Miroku could see the mark of the rune branded upon her forehead, as if it was a long-faded scar. The demons next to the evil spirit rushed him simultaneously but he had been anticipating such a move. Dodging them both he spun, twirling his staff in a quick motion and striking them as they passed. They hissed at the burn from its touch and Miroku took advantage of the distraction to erect a barrier around himself. The demons shrieked in rage at the loss of their prey and the evil spirit frowned, advancing on him.

 _“You think you can stop this? Foolish man.”_ Her voice whipped across his senses, her eyes burning.

He just had to hold the barrier until backup arrived. As if reading his thoughts the evil spirit smirked and reached a hand out for his barrier.

 _“Don’t make me laugh. Your barrier is nothing to me.”_ She began chanting something and from the oily and noxious feeling of it sliding across his skin Miroku knew it had to be some form of black magic. Slowly he felt the power in his barrier begin to drain away and he fought against it, pouring more of himself into it.

Reaching into a pocket he pulled out a handful of sutras, thankful he had the foresight to keep some on him at all times. With a murmured incantation of his own he threw them at her where they landed upon her spectral body. She screamed in equal parts pain and rage but although they had weakened her he did not succeed in exorcising her. She was incredibly strong, more so than an evil spirit had any right to be. Perhaps if the two demons weren’t with her, perhaps if he didn’t have to maintain a barrier, perhaps if he was at full strength this wouldn't be so difficult but unfortunately none of that was the case. 

Pushing back against her power with more of his own, sweat began to bead at his temple at the effort. He focused, acutely aware of the two demons hovering just outside his barrier waiting for it to drop. 

The evil spirit reached a hand directly into his shield and he sucked in a breath at the intrusion, hoping help arrived soon. His time had all but run out.

~☆~

Sango hung up the phone and ran to her car. She wished she had the time to don her slayer gear but the wakizashi glamoured at her waist would have to be good enough. Heart pounding she raced across the city, on her way to the address Kagome had given her.

Her best friend had called her, frantic, telling her that she needed to go to Miroku _right now_ because something bad was happening. She had quickly explained she had just been attacked herself and her call to Miroku had been cut off right after he had said he needed help. Sango was closer to his location so she would reach him before Kagome or Inuyasha could get there 

The awkwardness from that morning was momentarily forgotten, replaced by a lump of fear in the back of her throat. He was still injured from protecting her; he hadn’t finished regaining his strength yet. If something happened to him…

At last she arrived at the apartment complex and bolted up the stairs to the unit in question. She tried the door and blessedly it was unlocked.

“Miroku!!”

She paused for a moment, taking in the scene, breathing harshly from her mad dash. Two demons restrained him while a beautiful woman held him close, one hand resting against the side of his face and tilting it down towards her own as if preparing him for a kiss. Miroku was straining against her grip but it was a losing battle. His staff lay on the floor at his feet.

An inexplicable surge of jealousy rushed through her veins and, slamming the door behind her she ran towards them, drawing her sword.

“Get your hands off of him!!”

Miroku and the woman both turned to look at her, him in surprise and relief and the woman in shock and anger at the interruption.

He brought forth a surge of spiritual power at the diversion, blue light crackling at his arms and hands and the woman gasped in pain, releasing him. The demons restraining him hissed in agony at the holy power and then Sango was on them with a fury. With quick and efficient precision she made short work of the demons, hacking them to pieces, blood spraying on both her and the wall. She turned with the grace of a predator towards where the spirit of the woman stood, her expression deadly. Miroku wasn’t ashamed to admit he was a little turned on by her in that moment.

_“How dare you interrupt, you rude little bitch!”_

In the space of one breath and the next the evil spirit was suddenly in front of Sango, pushing her up against the wall. The demon slayer brought an elbow up, twisting to dislodge her grip and strike at her with her sword. The wakizashi passed through her harmlessly and the evil spirit laughed.

_“That scrap of metal is useless against me, I’m not corporeal. And you have no spiritual power to fight me with.”_

“Get off of me!” Sango yelled, struggling.

 _“As punishment I’ll take your soul first. You have no power but you positively radiate with life. Tsubaki should be pleased.”_ The woman whispered in a gloating voice. 

With a strength that she shouldn't have possessed the spirit gripped the back of Sango’s head and pulled the slayer towards her. The cold lips of the spirit met Sango’s own and Sango could feel her vitality begin to leave her in this perversion of a kiss. 

Blood began rushing in her ears and faintly she heard Miroku’s voice performing an exorcism, felt the body of the evil spirit twitch at the shocks of more of his sutras and, finally, saw him rise up from behind the spirit with his shakujo and a pissed expression on his face. He furiously bit out the necessary incantations, voice clipped and strident, ringing with power she didn’t know he still possessed. Then he struck at the woman with his staff and at last her lips left Sango’s in a tortured scream and Sango could breathe again.

The evil spirit vanished with one final shriek, as if ripped from their plane of existence. It was done. And Sango was so tired. Vaguely she wondered how much of her vitality the spirit had managed to steal from her before Miroku exorcised it.

“Sango!”

She tried to respond but her lips felt numb. She began to slide down the wall, her legs bereft of their usual strength. Miroku caught her around the waist and eased her the rest of the way down to the floor, where she knelt next to him. He held her to him and she found she didn’t mind. She rested her head in the crook of his neck and just focused on breathing and how nice his arms felt around her. Gradually she felt her equilibrium returning and she found the strength to speak, though she still didn’t move from her position.

“Miroku...I think it took part of my soul. I feel so drained.”

“That’s just from the momentary absence of your lifeforce. It’s returning, don’t worry. I exorcised her before she could actually take you.” He reassured her.

“Mmm. That’s good to know.” She murmured. They lapsed into a small silence before she spoke again. “You saved me again.”

“You saved me first. I was merely returning the favor.” 

“Fair point.”

“Also, I couldn’t forgive the audacity of her for defiling your beautiful lips.”

Sango let out a small laugh. “There you go with those one-liners again.”

“Are they working?”

She gave his chest a weak smack with her fist. “No.” _Yes._

“Guess I’ll just have to try harder, then.” He teased. She smiled, glad her face was currently buried against him so he couldn’t see.

“How can you stand to hold me right now? I’m covered in demon blood.”

“I don’t mind. You can use my shower if you like.”

“Maybe.” A thought occurred to her. “Sorry about your wall, by the way.”

He laughed. “It’s ok. That’s what bleach and a security deposit are for.”

They continued to sit on the floor for a while more. Sango knew she should get up, should push him away but found herself grateful for the excuse to have his arms around her. Several more minutes passed and then there was a knock at the door.

“Miroku?!” Kagome’s worried voice came to them.

“We’re fine! Come in.” Miroku called back.

Sango heard the door open and close as Kagome and no doubt Inuyasha made their entrance. 

“We’re not interrupting anything, are we?” Inuyasha snarked. Yep, there he was. 

“Shut up. I just had my life sucked from me.” Sango shot back in annoyance. She imagined she probably didn’t sound that intimidating with her voice muffled by Miroku’s neck. With an effort she raised her head to level a glare at the half demon. Behind him she could see Kagome, who was looking a little bedraggled herself but who also had an unmistakably delighted gleam in her eyes at the sight of Sango in Miroku’s arms. 

“Well it looks like you guys handled it.” Inuyasha commented, looking at the dead demon’s body parts strewn across Miroku’s now-ruined carpet and the blood splatter on the wall. He turned away from the gore and gave Sango an appraising stare. She had the feeling she had just risen in his regard. “Nice work.”

“Thanks. It was a team effort.” Miroku supplied.

Sango gently pushed at him and he released her, standing and helping her to her own feet.

“So what happened to you?” She asked her best friend.

“I think we all better sit down. This is going to take a while.” Kagome replied. They all settled down onto the couch in silent agreement except for Inuyasha, who opted to lean against the wall next to the end where Kagome sat.

Over the course of the next thirty minutes Kagome and Inuyasha shared what had happened during her ritual and Miroku and Sango then shared their own experience. When they were all finished Kagome spoke.

“I’m not sure how Tsubaki knew where or how to get at you, Miroku. I’m worried it may be because she gained access to my thoughts when she was in my head.”

“Even if that’s the case Kagome, I’m ok. Sango came to my rescue, after all.” He winked at the demon slayer who rolled her eyes.

“Yeah about that.” Inuyasha started. “Kagome has me to watch her back but you got no one, Miroku. With your spiritual power you’re a target now.”

“What are you suggesting?” 

“You and Sango gotta stick together from now on.” Inuyasha replied.

Before Sango or Miroku could respond to that statement Kagome took over.

“When we’re alone we’re more vulnerable. That was proven tonight. Miroku, it almost got you. Next time it might be you, Sango.” She explained. “Where one of you goes the other one goes too. That means sleeping in the same places, so you have backup literally right around the corner.” 

Sango opened her mouth to protest but no sound came out. _No no no._ It was hard enough with limited exposure to him. Being around him all the time? She didn’t know if she could handle it. Between her growing feelings for him and how exasperating he could be... Chancing a glance Miroku’s way she could tell he was fighting a grin. No doubt he was extremely pleased by this turn of events. Go figure.

“Can we _please_ trade places?” She asked desperately to Inuyasha.

He snorted. “Fuck no. I actually prefer Kagome over that idiot monk.”

Kagome looked happy at this admission, and there was a light blush across her cheeks. Yep, there was definitely something there between her and that half demon. That whole boyfriend ruse hadn’t been all pretend. Not on Kagome’s end, anyways. If Kagome could poke and prod her about Miroku then turnabout was fair play and Sango was looking forward to questioning the priestess about it later.

“Fine.” Sango said, defeated. As much as she didn’t like it, it did make a sort of sense. 

“Are you ok with staying here tonight since you’re already here?” Miroku asked her. 

She sighed. “That’s fine. I’ll have to borrow some of your things, though.”

“That’s no problem.” 

“If you don’t mind, I’d like to take you up on that offer of a shower.” Sango said. “I feel disgusting.” 

“Of course. There are towels in the closet right next to the bathroom.” Miroku said. She muttered her thanks and as she walked off Inuyasha and Kagome rose to leave.

“Kagome, wait. If you don’t mind I’d like to talk to you for a few minutes.” He said, stopping her, then looked at Inuyasha. “Alone.”

The half demon scoffed. “Please, you know I’ll probably hear everything anyways.”

“Just wait outside, please.”

“Yeah whatever sure.” Inuyasha said dismissively but he left, shutting the door behind him and no doubt waiting right outside for Kagome. 

The priestess looked at Miroku quizzically. Then her eyes turned shrewd. “This is about Sango, isn’t it.” She said, making it a statement rather than a question.

Miroku gave a laugh. “I’d ask how you guessed but I suppose it’s pretty obvious.”

“Call it women’s intuition.” Kagome winked. Then her expression turned a little more serious. “What I’m about to tell you has to be kept in the strictest of confidences. If Sango finds out you know or worse, finds out I’m the one who told you, I _will_ kill you.”

Miroku raised a hand in surrender. “I promise, I promise. I guess you also already know what I’m going to ask about her.”

“Yes, why she’s not responding to your advances like every other woman. Am I close?” Kagome guessed.

“Something like that.” Miroku admitted.

“Honestly, you really messed up by flirting with that waitress when you two first met. Of course that’s partly Inuyasha’s fault, or maybe it was mine for expecting him to consider something like romance. I should have reached out to you and let you know I told Sango I had presented our little get-together as a double date. It’s just been so long for her, you seemed like a good guy and I just want her to be happy.” Kagome told him.

“Right, I gathered that. I know I have a…certain reputation but with Sango it’s different. And I feel like she feels the same but I don’t know how to get her to admit it.” Miroku said.

“Ok, here’s the deal. Sango’s been burned in the past more than once. She’s wary of men and relationships in general. Her first real serious boyfriend back in highschool had no idea what she really was, and being in love she gave her virginity to him. He saw her scars that come from demon slaying and ridiculed her. When she told him the truth of what she did he couldn’t handle it or her.

“Then in college there was this guy who flirted with her quite a bit and finally won her over. But because Sango was now so self-conscious about her scars and just hesitant in general about giving herself to a guy in _that_ way before he knew the truth of her she didn’t sleep with him and after one month he cheated on her, saying he couldn’t be with someone who didn’t put out.

“I’m telling you all this because I trust you and something tells me you won’t hurt her like these other guys have. But it’s going to take a while for her to come around and see it for herself and realize she can trust you with her heart.”

When Kagome was finished Miroku just sat there for a minute processing all this new information. Suddenly Sango’s behavior made so much more sense to him and he wished he could find these guys that had hurt her so badly and punch them in the face. He found himself feeling fiercely protective of her.

"You said you trust me with all this. Why is that?" He finally asked.

"You put your life on the line for hers, nearly dying for her, and saved her twice now. Plus I've seen the way you look at her." Kagome replied easily.

“...I understand. Thank you for trusting me with this information, Kagome. I can’t express how much this means and I will try to live up to your confidence in me.” Miroku said seriously.

Kagome smiled. “I believe in you.”

With that she left and Miroku turned his attention to the demon carcasses on his apartment floor. It was safer than focusing on the alternative-- Sango naked in his shower. A shower actually sounded pretty wonderful to him too, and he had almost jokingly suggested they take one together but felt like that might have earned him a slap.

Grabbing trash bags he placed the severed body parts into them then, after setting them next to the front door for removal later, considered getting a bucket of bleach. As he entered the kitchen he heard the water in the bathroom turn off. Shortly after he heard Sango calling his name.

Miroku walked to the bathroom and stood outside the door. “Yes, my dear Sango?”

“Uhm...I just realized I don’t have any of my clothes here and the ones I do have are covered in demon blood. C-could I possibly get a change of clothes?” She asked almost shyly.

Miroku reminded himself to breathe. “Absolutely. I’ll grab you a t-shirt and some sweatpants.” 

“Thank you.”

Returning with the aforementioned items he knocked on the door. 

“Sango? I’ll put them outside the door and leave so you can grab them.”

“Thank you, Miroku.” She thanked him again, her voice soft.

While she dressed Miroku changed into clothes more comfortable for sleeping himself and gathered a few things from his bedroom. He figured he would let her sleep in the bed and he would take the couch. 

As he came back from his room he saw her exiting the bathroom. Steam wafted from the open door and he could smell the scent of his soap and shampoo on her skin and hair from where he stood. Despite the shapeless way his clothes hung on her she still took his breath away. She started to head for the living room and Miroku intervened.

“Wait. You can take the bed.”

She looked at him in surprise. “I can’t do that. This is your place.”

“Please. I insist.”

She looked at him for a moment longer, as if she was going to continue arguing.

“Sango.”

Her parted lips closed, swallowing whatever reply she had been about to voice.

“Okay...if you insist.”

“I do.”

“Thank you. Uhm...good night.” She said uncertainly, and there was the slightest blush on her cheeks.

“Good night. Sweet dreams.” 

She quietly padded into his room and once she closed the door he turned out the lights and settled himself onto the couch. Knowing she was sleeping only a couple rooms away, and in his bed no less, was a kind of sweet torture. 

So much for an uneventful day.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks, as always, to lavendertwilight for being my beta, and also to hnnwnchstr for being my hype woman <3
> 
> I love comments!

_“Mmmm.” Sango moaned._

_Lips trailed across her collarbone as a hand cupped one of her aching breasts. She arched up into the touch._

_“You’re so beautiful.” Miroku whispered. "I want you so bad."_

_“Please.” She begged and he rewarded her breast with a squeeze._

_Slowly his mouth made its way from her collarbone down to her chest and she held her breath in anticipation. Gently nuzzling her skin, he kneaded her breast, rubbing a calloused thumb over her nipple and teasing it into a hardened pebble. She gave a gasp at the sensation, burying a hand in his hair while her other hand clutched at the sheets._

_While his hand worked on her right breast his mouth began to press kisses over her left one, nipping and licking the skin but being careful to avoid the one place she hungered for it the most. Finally his hot wet mouth closed over the aching peak and she cried out as he suckled at it, grazing it lightly with his teeth. The feel of his tongue alternately laving circles around it and flicking it with the tip sent heat straight to her core and she cried out again. He gave a self-satisfied chuckle, pinching her nipple with the hand still caressing her right breast._

_“Please, I need…” She trailed off, unable to finish the sentence, she was so delirious with pleasure._

_“What is it you need, Sango?” Miroku murmured, lifting his head to look into her eyes. She watched as he slowly licked at her nipple then captured it between his teeth again, sucking. The sight was so erotic and she moaned, her head falling back against the pillow. Squirming, she tugged at his hair, desperate for him to touch her where she was aching the most with want. All this teasing was driving her out of her mind and her hips began to move in a silent plea._

_Continuing his ministrations he ran his free hand over her belly, inching lower. His hand skimmed over her pelvis, stopping right before the spot she_ needed _him to touch. He grazed the skin there with his fingertips. Pressure coiled within her. A little lower...she just needed his hand to dip a little lower. She was so wet._

_Her patience gone, she pulled urgently at his hair and lifted his face to hers for a searing kiss while her hips rolled against his hand, demanding. Finally, finally his hand moved to cup her sopping wet sex and she shuddered, gasping and moaning as his fingers began to explore her folds._

“Mirokuuu…”

“Sango?”

She opened her eyes and saw Miroku’s face looking down at her and for a moment she was still immersed in her dream. Reaching an arm out for him she cupped a hand behind his neck, pulling him down towards where she lay. Halfway through the motion reality set in and she gasped, releasing him and scooting backwards, her eyes wide.

“Oh my God!!!!”

“Oh no, by all means continue.” Miroku said and without thinking she slapped him. He sighed, rubbing his cheek. “That’s hardly fair. You were the one grabbing me.”

Sango didn’t respond and just sat there, trying to get the beating of her heart under control. And her arousal. She was still so turned on. It was embarrassing but she could literally feel the wetness between her legs. Dammit.

“Have a nice dream?” Miroku asked with a wicked gleam in his eyes.

“Shut up.”

“You were saying my name so I can only assume it was a...satisfying one.”

“I can’t control what I dream about!” She burst out, blushing and ready to slap him again.

“So you admit you were dreaming of me?”

“I’m dreaming of killing you, right now.”

She glared. Damn the man. He consumed so many of her waking moments and even in sleep he was there in her dreams. He didn't reply, just stood there with a knowing smirk. Giving him a suspicious look, she asked, "Why are you in here, anyways? Were you watching me sleep?"

"No, of course not. I heard you making noises and thought maybe you were having a nightmare." He paused. Grinned. "I'm so glad to have been mistaken."

Sango lunged to slap him again and he danced out of her reach with a laugh.

"Get out!" She yelled, throwing a pillow at him. He easily dodged it.

"You know this is _my_ bedroom, right?"

"I said get out!!"

Mercifully he left, but not before throwing her a suggestive wink.

Sango groaned and flopped back down onto the bed. This was just perfect. Now he knew she was having erotic dreams about him. The wall she was trying so hard to keep up between them was quickly crumbling.

Briefly she considered touching herself to ease her arousal because right now it was so hard to concentrate on anything else. But the thought of doing _that_ in his bed with him in the other room was...truthfully the more aroused part of her found it exciting, but it was also kind of mortifying. She was embarrassed for even thinking about it.

Idly, she wondered what time it was. Glancing at the window she saw the faint light of early morning peeking through the blinds. She decided to lay there for a little while longer, at least until her libido decided to calm down. In the meantime she found herself wishing the floor would open up and swallow her whole. This was going to be so awkward.

  
  


Miroku set about cleaning the blood from his apartment, grabbing towels, buckets, and bleach. Anything to keep his mind off of what had just happened. He had teased her about it but the truth is he was far from unaffected. 

He hadn’t been lying; at first he had thought she was perhaps having a nightmare. After grabbing a glass of water from the kitchen he had heard noises coming from where she slept in his bedroom. Nothing had prepared him for hearing the sound of his name cross her lips as she moaned in her sleep. And the way she had reached for him upon awakening, the look of heat and desire in her eyes...if she hadn’t come to her senses when she did he may have ended up taking her right there. There were limits to his self control.

And just like that he was thinking about it again. He sighed. It was going to be an impossible image to get out of his mind. And to be honest it wasn’t one he was eager to forget. He wanted to savor that intimate glimpse into Sango’s unguarded thoughts of him. It only confirmed what he had been half hoping and half suspecting-- that she was developing feelings for him too. ‘ _Including sexual feelings.’_ he thought to himself, unable to keep from smirking in self satisfaction.

He wondered how she’d react if he told her he’d been having dreams of her too. They would probably make whatever she had been dreaming about look downright innocent.

Eventually Sango emerged from his bedroom and he wasn't sure how much time had passed in between him interrupting her dream and now. Enough that he had his own urges under control again and was basically done with the cleanup. There would be some faint lingering stains but he could glamour those away.

"Oh, you shouldn't be cleaning that up by yourself. It was my mess." Sango said and he looked up at her from his position on the floor with the buckets of bloody water and bleach. Her expression was hard to read but it looked like she felt bad.

"It's fine." He told her and gave her a quick smile.

"It's not. I'm the one who killed them and sprayed that blood everywhere."

"And this is my apartment. Plus, more importantly, you saved me." He countered.

She didn't reply but the look on her face told him she disagreed. Carefully she sat on the couch, looking slightly uncomfortable. He imagined she was probably still feeling awkward about their encounter that morning. He also knew he should be setting her at ease but he couldn't resist making one last comment.

"You know, if you ever want to reenact that dream of yours I'd be more than happy-- Ow!"

Sango had thrown the nearest object, an empty glass, at his head. 

“We’re not talking about it.”

“As you wish, my dear Sango.”

~☆~

It had been four days since the failed location ritual and things had been relatively quiet. Kagome didn't know if Tsubaki was perhaps planning something even worse and biding her time or was just licking her wounds. Or maybe preying on some other poor unfortunate soul. Literally.

She hadn't sensed any other runes nearby but that didn't necessarily mean anything. After seeing how the dark priestess had basically branded the mark directly onto the spirit and demons that had attacked them four nights ago...it was possible she was continuing to do so. If that was the case they would be extremely difficult to sense mostly because they were so fleeting. When that evil spirit had attacked Miroku and Sango she had vaguely sensed something but it had been so faint she would have almost thought she imagined it if she hadn't just been attacked herself. 

Thinking of Sango brought her mind back to the phone conversation they had had the other day.

~☆~

Kagome waited for Sango to pick up on the other line. After a few rings she heard the click.

"Kagome?"

"Sango, hey! Just wanted to check up on my favorite person. How has everything been?"

"You're so sweet. But we haven't encountered anything out of the ordinary. Things have been quiet on that front."

Kagome gave a little laugh. “That’s good to hear, nothing has happened on our end either...but I also meant how is it going with Miroku? Have you two fallen into each other's arms yet?"

Sango groaned in reply.

"That good?" Kagome teased.

"That bad!" Sango practically wailed, her voice rising just a little.

"What happened?"

Sango told her about how Miroku had walked in on her having a wet dream about him and Kagome couldn't keep herself from laughing.

"Kagome, this isn't funny!"

"I'm sorry, but it really is." Kagome said in between giggles. It took another minute before she had herself under control again.

"You know, if you weren't my best friend I would kill you." Sango said darkly.

"I love you, too." Kagome replied cheekily. "Ok, so what's the problem with Miroku? He's got it bad for you, you know."

"You think so? I don't know about that. I'm probably just the first woman who hasn't instantly melted into a puddle at his feet." Sango said uncertainly. "I'm just a challenge to him. Everywhere we've gone for the past two days girls have been trying to hit on him or give him their numbers and he just smiles at them, eating it up."

Kagome didn't miss the irritation in Sango's voice. In fact, it almost sounded like jealousy.

"Hmm. That does sound annoying. But has Miroku taken any of their numbers or flirted back with any of them?" She asked. If he had, she was going to personally kill him for Sango.

Sango was quiet for a moment. "No. I...I guess he hasn't really. He'll sometimes reply to them but nothing like…" She trailed off, and Kagome smiled.

"Nothing like how he talks to you."

"That man has a line for everything. It's so annoying."

"Sango, why don't you give him a chance?"

"I...It's not that easy for me. And I've only known him for two weeks!"

"Sometimes two weeks is all you need. When you know you know."

"Are you speaking from experience?" Sango shot back.

"W-what's that supposed to mean?" Kagome stuttered out, taken off guard by this sudden shift.

"What about you and Inuyasha?"

"W-what about it? You already know he isn't really my boyfriend."

"But you want him to be."

Kagome was suddenly glad Inuyasha wasn't close by. No doubt he would have heard every word through the phone with his inu-youkai hearing and that was an embarrassment she would have never lived down.

"We're not talking about me and Inuyasha!" Kagome said defensively, blushing.

It was Sango's turn to laugh. "We are now. You can't poke and prod me about Miroku and not expect me to do the same with you about Inuyasha. It's only fair."

"There's nothing to talk about." Kagome returned, not intending for her tone to sound as morose as it did.

"You have feelings for him, don't you." Sango made it a statement.

"Sometimes I wish you didn't know me so well." Kagome sighed.

"What's stopping you from telling him?"

"So many reasons."

"Like?"

"I don't know if you've noticed but he's a half demon. I'm human. Even if somehow he had feelings for me too...he would outlive me. We don't share the same lifespan."

"You would if you were mated to him." Sango told her.

Kagome froze in surprise. "What do you mean?"

"I guess as a priestess it's not something you're really taught, but for demon slayers it's pretty common knowledge. When a demon takes a mate, it's for life. And in the rare instances a demon has chosen a human for a mate the marking given links their lifespans together." Sango explained.

For a moment Kagome could scarcely breathe, and she dared to allow herself to hope if only for a moment. Then reality, unwelcome as it was, sank back in. "Even if that's the case, there's no way he feels the same."

"What makes you so sure of that?"

"Come on, you've met him. He's abrasive, short-tempered, and even shorter on patience...and I'm just an assignment to him, a duty. He tolerates me because of the agreement between my family and the inu-youkai. Once this is all over he'll probably go back off into his forest, grateful to be rid of me."

"Something tells me you're wrong about that." Sango said. "Maybe that's how it started, but I think there's something there now. He's just good at hiding it."

"I think you're imagining things, but thanks for trying to give me hope." Kagome laughed.

"I'll tell you what, Kagome. You tell Inuyasha how you feel and I'll give Miroku a chance."

"So in other words, never."

"You said it, not me." 

~☆~

Kagome's thoughts returned back to the present, her heart feeling a little heavy. There was no point in denying it to herself-- she had feelings for the half demon. It wasn't love, at least not yet...but it was only a matter of time until it was.

He was currently walking beside her and she chanced a glance at him. His human glamour was back on but she saw through it to the real him. Truthfully she preferred his half demon form to his human one. Not that his human one wasn't just as attractive...this one just suited him more.

She had been running some errands in town and they were on their way back to the shrine now. Inuyasha had accompanied her without complaint but she got the impression he felt like a glorified babysitter. Or maybe that was just because he had made a similar comment two weeks ago.

"Hey, why do ya look so down?"

Inuyasha's voice broke through her thoughts and she inwardly cringed that she had let her feelings show so obviously on her face.

"O-oh nothing! Just thinking about Tsubaki and all the awful things she's done." She lied.

"I think you forget I can smell lies. Look, if you don't wanna tell me all you gotta do is say so." Inuyasha replied, and his ears flattened a little in irritation.

“You can smell what I’m feeling??” Kagome asked, slightly alarmed. If that was the case she was so screwed.

“What? No, stupid. Don’t be ridiculous.” He scoffed. “But I can smell ya. Your scent gets a little bitter and your heart rate speeds up. So again you don’t have to fucking lie, just say you don’t wanna talk about it.”

Kagome immediately felt bad but there was no way she could tell him the truth. _Yeah I was just thinking about how I'm slowly falling in love with you and there's no way you'll ever feel the same. No big deal._

"S-sorry...I shouldn't have lied. It's just, uhm...personal." She amended. And then before she could lose her courage, she grabbed his hand and gave it a quick squeeze. As she started to release her hold on him he kept her hand gripped firmly in his. She looked at him in surprise. He was staring back at her with those perfect amber orbs.

"Do you feel that?" He asked her.

For a moment she thought he was being romantic and her heart skipped a beat. Then the logical part of her brain caught up and she felt what he had sensed. She was careful this time not to let her disappointment show on her face.

There was a strong demonic aura nearby along with that of a rune. She was glad she had brought her own weapon with her, disguised as it was with the bracelet containing her glamour. Her clothes on the other hand, a skirt and a fashionable sweater, were hardly fit for a fight but she would manage somehow. 

"I do." She replied, looking from him to the direction the presence was coming from. "I also sense a rune."

“Looks like that bitch has decided to make her next move, finally.” Inuyasha said, releasing her hand.

“We should call Sango and Miroku.”

“What are we gonna tell them? We don’t even know exactly where it’s coming from yet. Let’s find it then give them the address.”

Kagome was hesitant to agree but figured he knew best, having had more experience with fighting and battles. This was all still fairly new to her. Even so, a feeling of apprehension was creeping up on her. It was late afternoon, verging on evening and the sense of evil was only growing stronger. After a bit of walking they rounded a corner, coming upon an alleyway that looked like it led into an even bigger lot located behind all the buildings on that street. There wasn’t a human soul around them; not alive anyways. She hoped they weren’t about to come upon more dead bodies but steeled herself for the possibility.

“I’m going to call Sango now.” Kagome said, keeping a wary eye on the scene before them. Nothing looked out of place but this was unmistakably the area it was all coming from. Maybe it was her imagination but she thought she saw something stir around the corner to the back lot.

“Hurry it up.” Inuyasha said gruffly and Kagome spared a quick glare his way. She dialed the number and Sango answered.

“Kagome? What is it?” Her voice came through the other line.

“Inuyasha and I have sensed a strong demonic presence and I can feel another rune. We’re already here.” She quickly rattled off the address. Of course, it was on the complete opposite side of town that Sango and Miroku currently were at. It would take them twenty minutes to get there, and that was if they rushed.

Kagome didn’t bother to inform Inuyasha; he would have heard the entire exchange with his acute demon hearing. As she moved to put her phone away something else moved in front of them.

“Kagome, watch out!”

Inuyasha grabbed her arm and yanked her to his side and out of the trajectory of the object that had just come shooting out at her. She swallowed, looking to see what had nearly hit her.

A knife-like claw was embedded into the side of the brick building across the street behind them and she looked from it to where it had come from. A figure was striding towards them and it was clearly the main source of the demonic aura they had sensed. Behind it a host of demons was becoming visible.

“So you’ve arrived. You took your time.” The figure said, and as it came more into view Kagome could see it was a male demon. He had a human appearance with the exception of the pointed ears denoting his demon heritage and red eyes glowing at them balefully, his clawed hands flexing at his sides. Smirking, he revealed a mouthful of sharp fangs, and as he stopped they could see scales with a greenish sheen to them covering his arms and chest. They disappeared beneath his clothes, which were of a more traditional cut, and Kagome imagined the pattern of scales across his skin continued where eyes could not see. 

“I'd say sorry, but I don’t fucking answer to you.” Inuyasha shot back, unsheathing his sword and falling into a battle stance.

The demon laughed. “Maybe not. I’ve heard of that sword of yours, by the way. It’s useless here. You can’t use its full demonic power to defeat me. Not without causing some major collateral damage.”

Inuyasha growled in annoyance. Kagome readied her own weapon while scanning the area trying to figure out where the rune actually was. The sensation seemed to be coming from beyond where all the demons had gathered, just around the corner to the back lot. With all those demons standing guard she couldn’t simply run to it like she had before during their first showdown. This was going to be more difficult.

“How did Tsubaki talk you into doing her dirty work?” Inuyasha was asking snarkily.

“A steady stream of human flesh and blood...and she understands that demons are not meant to be kept on a leash. We should not have to hide in fear of discovery from humans. They should fear _us_ , as it used to be.” He responded. He extended his arm and another claw-shaped dagger formed in the palm of his hand. “I, Ryumaru, have no problem assisting someone I can use to further my own goals.”

He flung the claw their way again and Inuyasha swung his sword, deflecting it. He then leapt towards Ryumaru, going for the kill with his sword. Ryumaru merely lifted an arm and the sword bounced off of him harmlessly.

“That won’t work. These scales that cover my body are impossible to cut through.” Ryumaru smirked, throwing out another dagger as Inuyasha flipped backwards and regained his bearings while easily dodging the blow.

Meanwhile Kagome was keeping an eye on the low level demons lurking in the shadows behind Ryumaru, waiting for them to try and make a move. It seemed for the time being they were content to lie back and wait for the word to attack. The way they just hovered there was unsettling.

“Inuyasha! The rune is beyond all those demons. I'm going to have to go through them to purify it!” Kagome called out.

“You won’t get that far.” Ryumaru threatened, going on the offensive and vaulting towards where she stood. She stumbled backwards, trying to notch an arrow but knew she wouldn’t be fast enough. Just as she got the arrow on the string of her bow Inuyasha jumped between them, intercepting his charge.

“Don’t you fucking touch her!” He snarled, pushing him back.

Ryumaru laughed. “How precious. It’s almost like you care for her. Don't worry, though. I won't kill her-- Tsubaki has made it clear she is to be taken alive. But that doesn't mean I can't break off a few pieces." He snapped his fingers and the demons that had been lying in wait in the background surged forward with a vengeance. “Let’s see how well you can protect her while fighting me _and_ these demons.”

“Kagome!” Inuyasha yelled, and narrowly missed getting skewered with another volley of daggers.

“Pay attention, half breed!” Ryumaru mocked, a short sword forming in his palm and he spun, arcing it towards Inuyasha. “I’m your opponent right now.”

“Inuyasha, it’s fine!” Kagome called to him, firing sacred arrows and disintegrating the demons into ash. “I’m good here! I can hold my own so kick his ass!”

Inuyasha fought Ryumaru but every time his sword landed a hit it was blocked by one of the demon’s arms. The one time he scored a blow to his chest the scales there rendered his attack useless. How the fuck was he supposed to kill something he couldn’t even fucking cut?

His eyes landed on Ryumaru’s neck as he ducked another strike before bringing his sword up to parry the next one. There were no scales on his neck...and it was only the scaled parts of his body that seemed impervious to attack. ' _The neck must be where he was vulnerable to injury,'_ Inuyasha reasoned. The problem was Ryumaru was careful not to allow Inuyasha’s blade to come anywhere near his throat.

Inuyasha bided his time, trying to wait for an opportunity but nothing presented itself. The other demon was a skilled fighter and no matter how unpredictable he tried to make his moves Inuyasha never found an opening.

Suddenly Kagome cried out wordlessly and he glanced her way, fearful of what he would find. 

“Kagome!”

She had reached for another arrow and fumbled her grip on it, stumbling backwards and falling down onto her elbows. Quickly dropping the arrow she reached her now-free hand up, sending a blast of purifying light at the demon heading towards her. It died, disappearing into dust. Keeping her hand full of power outstretched she regained her feet and then set up a barrier around herself.

“I thought I said pay attention!” Ryumaru growled, taking advantage of the half demon’s momentary distraction and burying his short sword into Inuyasha’s abdomen. 

Inuyasha grunted, twisting to the side to try to lessen the blow but the damage was done. Ryumaru laughed, withdrawing his blade, and it was an ugly sound. With effort, Inuyasha brought his sword up to block the next strike, trying to catch his breath. Shit it hurt.

“Inuyasha!!” Kagome screamed.

“I’m fine! Worry about yourself, stupid!” He called back. The pain was fading to a dull throb and he pushed it away, focusing on the fight. This was nothing; he had suffered worse.

“Are you, though?” Ryumaru questioned and with another snap of his fingers the demons assaulting Kagome turned their attentions towards him.

Fuck. Shit. Ryumaru was right, he couldn’t use the full demonic power of his sword and he was cursing that very fact right now. In a rush of bodies they were on him a second later and without the power of the Wind Scar he couldn’t keep them all at bay. 

The other demon had paused in his onslaught to revel in Inuyasha's struggles, his expression full of gloating. His fucking face pissed Inuyasha off. Cursing, he gripped his wound, slathering his hand with his blood then flung it out at the demons.

"Blades of Blood!"

Crescents of red streaked through the horde, slicing them apart and they screamed. Ryumaru clapped sarcastically.

"Very impressive. But do you have enough blood to do that all evening?"

“Hey! Maybe you’re the one who needs to pay attention!!” Kagome shouted while firing an arrow. It shot through the demons attacking Inuyasha in a flash of pink light to strike at Ryumaru and he barely avoided the attack, blocking it with an arm. Despite his scales the holy power of her arrow burned and he gave a pained shout.

Enraged, Ryumaru shot a blade Kagome’s way and she blocked it with her bow. It splintered in her hands and she yelped, turning her face away. The remaining pieces fell from her hands and she focused on maintaining her barrier.

Inuyasha, finally finding the opening he was seeking, surged forward and swung his sword towards Ryumaru’s neck. Just as he had suspected it cut clean through, beheading the other demon. The severed stump of his neck spurted blood and his lifeless body fell to the ground, the head rolling away with sightless eyes.

With their main adversary defeated it should have gotten easier but the tide of demons didn’t slow down. They swarmed Inuyasha and he sliced and hacked at them but there were just so many and he was injured. She had seen Ryumaru stab him straight through the middle. 

Kagome reflexively reached back for another arrow with slightly numb fingertips and ice ran through her veins as she realized that not only was her quiver empty, her bow was in pieces on the ground. That was fine. She would just have to improvise.

Calling forth all her spiritual power she focused on shaping it into the form of a bow and arrow in her hands. As she did so she continued to maintain her barrier. She had never done something like this before and she hadn’t realized exactly how daunting a task it was. For a split second her knees buckled at the strain but Kagome held fast. Finally her weapon coalesced into being, a bow and arrow made entirely of glowing pink spiritual power. Drawing back the string of her bow she took aim and fired an arrow of pure energy at the demons overwhelming Inuyasha. It completely obliterated them and Inuyasha looked at her in shock in the aftermath of her attack.

Slowly the bow faded from existence and it was as if a bubble had burst. Kagome released her barrier and she collapsed to her hands and knees, utterly depleted. Her breath came in pants, her vision turning slightly fuzzy. She had miscalculated and put far too much of herself into that move. Until recently she had never really used her powers offensively and it was still a learning process. Her attack had definitely been overkill.

“No wonder they say to stick to imbuing objects with spiritual power to fight. Making them from pure energy is too much.” She said weakly. She looked up and Inuyasha was kneeling in front of her. When had he moved? She blinked.

“Stupid! Why the fuck did you do that?! It’s my job to protect you, not the other way around!” Inuyasha yelled at her, sounding distressed. He gathered her close and she slumped against him.

“Because I wanted to. You’re important to me.” She said simply, too tired to argue. She thought he might have sputtered at that but her eyes were closing. She was totally spent.

As Inuyasha stood with her in his arms, more of the demons that had been biding their time in the shadows behind the building surged forward. Fuck. He shifted her weight to one side to free up his sword arm and just as he reached for his weapon--

“Hiraikotsu!”

Sango’s voice rang out down the alley as her weapon cut through the monsters. Inuyasha turned around and saw Miroku and Sango standing at the entrance of the alley just as the boomerang returned to the slayer’s waiting grip. 

“Looks like we made it just in time.” Miroku commented, taking in the sight of Kagome’s form in Inuyasha’s arms. “I’d ask what happened but you can fill us in later. Whatever it was clearly took a lot out of Kagome and you don’t look that great yourself. Go ahead and take her home. Sango and I will handle the rest.”

“Inuyasha, I’m fine. The rune still needs to be purified. I can do it.” Kagome protested, the whisper of her voice muffled by his shoulder, where her head was currently resting.

“Shut up. You’re not doing anything else until you recover. That move took everything out of you. Idiot.” Inuyasha retorted. “You guys got this, right?”

“Miroku’s right.” Sango agreed. “Leave the rest to us.”

“Don’t worry about it. Kagome may be stronger than me in terms of spiritual power but I’m no lightweight myself. I can handle this. Go.” Miroku assured him. Inuyasha needed no further encouragement and took off with Kagome. 

Miroku walked to the end of the alley with Sango by his side and rounded the corner, searching for the rune in question. It was there on the wall and beneath it were the bodies of two unfortunate humans, freshly killed, likely as a blood sacrifice. He let out a sigh of regret that they had lost their lives so tragically. Sango didn’t comment but she made a pained expression at the sight. 

Settling into a battle-ready stance she stood guard as he went to work. He laid his palm over the mark and he instantly felt the full weight of evil within it. Concentrating, he poured his power into it and felt it fighting him for every inch of ground gained. Several minutes stretched by and his focus narrowed to that of the malice before him. Sweat beaded at his temple and trickled down the side of his face at the effort. Finally with one last push the purification was complete and his awareness of his surroundings came back to him in a rush.

 _‘You and that bitch of a priestess will pay for your interference.’_ The threat was whispered across the surface of his mind just as he broke the connection. Tsubaki. Charming.

He turned around and saw that while his attention had been occupied by purifying the rune, Sango had been hard at work protecting him. Several more demon carcasses lay at her feet and she had a small scratch on her left cheek and her right arm was bleeding a little. She didn’t seem to be bothered by either injury, just simply looked at him.

“Is it done? Every demon in the vicinity has been exterminated.”

Every time he thought he couldn’t become more impressed by her, couldn’t possibly fall for her even more he was proven wrong. There was nothing about her that didn’t amaze him or take his breath away. He gave her a smile.

“Yes. Thank you for watching my back. I couldn’t have asked for a hotter bodyguard.” He winked.

Predictably, she rolled her eyes. “Come on, let’s go then. I need to take a shower.”

“Mind if I join you?”

“Keep talking and I’ll exterminate _you_ , pervert.”

~☆~

Sango exhaled in relief as she removed her slayer gear. Her body ached from the various bruises and scrapes she had obtained from her skirmish with the demons while Miroku had purified the rune. She had demon guts and blood in her hair and felt filthy. The cut on her arm stung a little bit but it was shallow and had already stopped bleeding so it was hardly worth worrying about.

They had opted to head back to her place since it was not only closer than Miroku’s, it had all of her stuff. She had taken to carrying around extra clothes and keeping some spares at Miroku’s place due to their new...arrangement but right now she craved her space with all her stuff. He had been understanding and readily agreed.

Things weren’t as awkward as she had been anticipating since he had caught her dreaming of him that one morning. He hadn’t mentioned it again thankfully but she had caught him giving her knowing looks when he thought she wasn’t looking. It drove her mad. The worst part was that he wasn’t entirely wrong...she _did_ have those thoughts and those feelings about him. She just didn’t want him to know. She also knew it was a little ridiculous but she couldn’t help it. Keeping up walls and protecting her heart was as natural to her as breathing. Letting her guard down enough to open herself up in that way was easier said than done.

Turning the water on she waited for it to warm up and brushed her hair out with her fingers. Once the mirror started to fog up she deemed it hot enough and slipped into the water. Halfway through washing her body of the blood, dirt, and sweat that covered her she sensed something. Wiping the water from her eyes she began to turn her head to glance about when something gripped her upper arm.

 _“Mistress Tsubaki did not mention how lovely you were.”_ A male voice crooned from behind her and there was a hollow quality to it, as if whoever was speaking was doing so from deep within a cave. 

Sango’s eyes went to the hold on her arm and saw the hand holding her in place was translucent, almost like...water. When she cast her senses about the aura didn’t register as demonic which meant this had to be an evil spirit. This wasn’t good.

“Do you enjoy spying on naked women when they’re bathing? Get your creepy hands off of me!” She yelled, twisting and opening the shower curtain with the movement. The evil water spirit chuckled and spun her around to face him before pushing her back against the wall of the shower. She frantically blinked water out of her eyes trying to see. His watery form had the featureless shape of a male and he was bringing his free hand up towards her face.

With a sudden clarity she realized what was about to happen and let out the loudest scream she could manage before that watery hand was over her mouth, cutting off her cries and filling her mouth with water. She choked, she couldn’t breathe, couldn’t even really _fight_ this thing. She had no spiritual power to fight it with, and even if it had been a demon...while she would stand more of a chance she still had no weapons. She was naked, vulnerable, and defenseless against this thing.

 _“It will be over soon, beautiful. I’m afraid you’ve been a thorn in Mistress Tsubaki’s side.”_ The evil spirit said and Sango struggled uselessly against him.

Even though it hurt her pride to admit, this wasn’t something she could do anything about. She chafed at having to rely on someone else for help...but right now she hoped Miroku would come and kick this thing’s ass before it drowned her to death.

~☆~

Miroku relaxed on Sango’s couch, waiting patiently while she cleaned the filth of battle from her gorgeous body. He sighed. Ever since that morning he had walked in on her having that erotic dream of him...well his own dreams of her had only gotten even more intense. Sango had maintained her usual attitude towards him and while it frustrated him he understood why after hearing from Kagome what her previous experience with guys had been. Denial of her feelings was easier than risking the possibility of getting hurt again. He would just have to keep being equal parts persistent and patient with her. 

He had never been as serious about a girl as he was about her, despite having only known her for two weeks. It surprised him, how quickly he went from casual interest to seriously falling for her, but unlike a certain demon slayer he wasn’t the type to deny his feelings. However he would keep the extent of them a secret from her until she was ready to hear them. He didn’t want to run the risk of scaring her away.

He closed his eyes, feeling exhausted and sinking into the cushions of the couch. That purification had taken quite a bit out of him. There was some serious black magic in those runes and he was looking forward to taking a shower himself once Sango was done.

A sudden piercing scream had him opening his eyes and shooting to his feet, reaching for his shakujo. _Sango!_ His feet were already moving towards the bathroom before he had even fully registered it. That scream…Sango did not strike him as the sort of woman to scream without good reason. She was a warrior, afterall.

His hand on the door knob, he hesitated for a split second. She was in the shower, naked, weaponless, vulnerable and... _naked._ Whatever had caused her to scream so loud and desperately...it was worth risking her wrath at him seeing her naked, he decided.

Bursting in through the door he saw Sango-- her naked body, glistening and wet, and oh those sweet, full breasts, those shapely legs-- pushed up against the shower wall by an evil spirit that took on the vague shape of a man whose form was clear and constantly shifting like...water. An evil water spirit, one that had one of his hands over her mouth, effectively drowning her. Sango was struggling weakly and her eyes shifted to look at him desperately at his entrance.

 _“While Mistress Tsubaki wants you dead, she didn’t say I couldn’t have my own fun.”_ The evil spirit was saying. _“You’re so beautiful, I think I’ll take you as mine into the afterlife...as a mistress.”_ As he spoke the hand on her arm moved to her hip, squeezing while one of his legs pushed between her legs to keep her pinned to the wall.

That pissed Miroku off. Completely infuriated, his sutras already out, he went on the offensive. The sheer nerve of this spirit galled him. How dare he not only try to harm his precious Sango but then threaten to make her his _mistress??_ And touching Sango like that so provocatively without her permission. Oh hell no. Over his dead body.

“Not with my woman, you aren’t!” He snapped, flinging his arm out and his sutras hit the mark. The evil spirit gave a cry of outrage at the painful interruption, turning its featureless face to look Miroku’s way.

 _“She’s mine now.”_ He hissed.

Sango pushed against the wall and managed to stumble a couple of steps. Her eyes began to flutter as she started to lose consciousness from the lack of air, black dots swimming in her vision, and her legs buckled, causing her to trip over the edge of the tub. She pitched backward, falling onto her back on the floor of the bathroom, the evil spirit still clinging to her and refusing to let her go.

“Get off of her!” Miroku growled, and muttering a quick incantation he threw more sutras at the evil spirit, only these didn’t merely shock him; they were a temporary paralytic spell. Reciting another spell, Miroku wrapped his power around the evil spirit like a rope and _pulled._ The evil spirit screamed in agony, finally releasing his hold over Sango’s mouth and she coughed up water, rolling onto her side. Her hands clutched at the tiles of the bathroom floor as she gasped for breath.

With one last vicious burst of energy Miroku swung his staff and struck the evil spirit in the sternum, channeling his power into the exorcism. The staff crackled with the blue lightning of his power as the evil spirit screamed, writhing and twitching while the holy power coursed through him.

Sango had regained her senses and was looking at Miroku with wide eyes. She had never seen him so...furious. Hadn't even really known he was capable of it; he was always so easy going and charming. Even accounting for the time he had saved her from that other evil spirit. He had been a bit angry, sure, but nothing like this, not to this degree. The look on his face was terrible and Sango secretly admitted to herself she found it kind of hot. Especially since that fury was all on her account. It was flattering in a way she wasn't used to.

"Don't ever mess with my girl!" Miroku said savagely before destroying the evil spirit with one last push of his power. It wailed as it disappeared in a flash, its screams abruptly cutting off.

Breathing hard from equal parts exertion, fear for Sango, and anger at the evil spirit, Miroku turned his attention to Sango. She had curled somewhat into herself, trying her best to cover her nakedness from him. A part of his brain spared a thought to wonder why she didn't simply turn her back to him. Every other part of his brain was trying very _very_ hard to be respectful of Sango and not look his fill of her body.

Her very naked, very wet body. And God how he wanted to look, the temptation was almost too much to bear. Ever since his first sight of her in her demon slayer getup-- hell since his first sight of her bent over in that cafe-- it had been impossible not to fantasize. And now here she was literally laid out before him.

Grabbing a towel from the towel rack he shook it out and laid it over her. She clutched at it and he turned away while she wrapped it around herself.

"I'm not your girl." She said, standing up and he turned back around to face her. She would never admit it but her heart had fluttered a bit when he had said that to the evil spirit.

"Not yet." He replied confidently, shooting her a half smile.

 _'Not ever.'_ She wanted to say but the words stuck in her throat, refusing to come out.

"Thank you for saving me." She said instead.

"Of course. I could hardly let that evil water spirit take my girl." He winked. She didn't bother protesting him calling her his again. Truthfully, while it was a bit presumptuous of him it also made her feel kind of special.

"It's embarrassing how you keep saving me like this." She said, walking to the shower and turning it off finally.

"Tsubaki must know what a formidable opponent you are. As long as I have you with me she knows she stands no chance of getting to me so she wants to eliminate you first." He replied, as if it was obvious.

"I guess." She didn't sound convinced.

"Besides I think it's fair to say we're pretty even on the amount of times we've saved each other." Miroku continued. They were both silent for a couple minutes as if neither was sure what to say. Finally Miroku started to turn away, saying, “Well now that you’re safe I’ll leave you to it.”

“So you probably saw everything.” Sango burst out, and she cringed. Why had she said that? She stared at her toes as if they were the most fascinating thing in the world.

Miroku stopped but didn’t look at her; the sight of her in nothing but a towel that barely covered her was far too enticing. Especially now that he had had a glimpse of what was beneath it. He was mildly surprised she had chosen to address the elephant in the room. He had expected her to just pretend it hadn’t happened.

"I won't lie and say I didn't see anything. That would have been impossible. But I did try not to look too closely-- as much as I wanted to-- out of respect for your privacy. "

That surprised Sango and she looked up at him. He still wasn’t looking at her but his voice was sincere.

"Uhm. Thank you for your honesty." She said and she meant it.

He started to leave.

“Wait!” She said.

He stopped, turning to look at her curiously and on pure impulse she walked up to him and hugged him. He stiffened momentarily in shock then slowly relaxed, bringing an arm up to wrap around her waist.

“S-sango?”

“I-I’m sorry. Is this weird?”

“More like unexpected.” He replied and his voice was slightly strained. She wondered at that for a moment before realizing she had her breasts pressed up against him while wearing nothing but a towel. She hadn’t thought something like that would fluster him. Emboldened by the thought she experimentally pressed herself against him harder and she heard his breath catch. 

Swallowing a giggle she released him, pulling away to look into his face. It was very faint but he was definitely blushing. It was oddly endearing and she smiled. Maybe it was okay to lower her walls just a little bit. Just for him. Just for a moment.

Before she could think better of it she quickly grabbed a handful of his shirt and pulled him down to her, kissing his cheek. When she let him go, backing away, she saw confusion and elation warring for dominance on his face.

“Not that I’m complaining in the slightest, but what was that for?” He asked.

The audacity of her actions caught up with her and she flushed as she met his eyes. The towel around her began to slip and she curled an arm around her chest so she didn’t give him a show for the second time tonight.

“Consider it a reward. You earned it.” She told him. 

“Exactly which of my actions earned this so I know what to do for a repeat performance?” Miroku asked, grinning.

“Yeah ok, you can leave now.”

“So you’re not going to tell me?”

“Go!” She said, pushing him towards the door. He laughed but obeyed.

Shutting the door behind him, Miroku walked back to his place on the couch with a bounce in his step. Not only had she hugged him, she had given him a kiss on the cheek! They were small things but for Sango he was sure it had been no easy thing. It seemed like he was finally making progress with her, however slight and that was a huge boost to his mood. He knew he was probably grinning like an idiot but he didn’t care.

The fact that an evil spirit had attacked Sango and nearly killed her was a bit sobering but it couldn’t completely erase his smile. He had saved her, she was safe, he had gotten a glimpse of her in the nude, and best of all she had hugged and kissed him (even if it had only been on the cheek). He was on cloud nine.

In the morning he was going to take steps to set up wards around her apartment so something like this wouldn’t happen again. After the attack at his place he had made sure to strengthen his own wards which had been admittedly lax. Considering the opponent they were dealing with they couldn’t afford to take any chances. 

But that was a problem for tomorrow. Tonight though...tonight he would allow himself to bask in this happiness and satisfaction. Like Sango had said, he earned it.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always thanks to lavendertwilight89 for being my beta and to hnnwnchstr for being my hype woman <3
> 
> I love comments!! Also this chapter has like zero plot relevance but it was so much fun to write and I felt it was necessary to help move along the development of the relationships between our favorite pairs.

Kagome tried to take several deep calming breaths. They were not helping. At all. God he made her so mad!! Her anger was causing her aura and therefore her power to rise. No one could make her go from zero to sixty as fast as this stupid arrogant jerk of a half demon standing in front of her and currently giving her a glare to match her own.

It had all started when Hojo, an old high school and college classmate of hers, had decided to drop by the shrine to see her. He had brought her a gift basket and tried to chat her up, and Kagome had tried to be as polite as possible. He was a sweet guy just...boring and oblivious to her disinterest in him. He had tried to ask her out for the thousandth time and she had deflected and demurred as she always did, changing the topic and soon sending him on his way. He had left, leaving her holding the gift basket in her hands.

That was when Inuyasha had dropped down from his perch in the tree he had been observing the whole thing in.

“What the fuck was that?” He had demanded, and Kagome was taken aback at the anger and-- jealousy??-- in his voice.

“Wh-what?? That was Hojo, an old classmate of mine.”

“Are you sure that’s _all_ he is?” Inuyasha leered at her.

“What is that supposed to mean?” She set down the gift basket and crossed her arms defensively.

“Exactly what it sounded like. Or do you have a bunch of guys comin’ around giving you things all the time?”

“Of course not and I don’t like what you’re implying!” Kagome snapped back, glaring. “I’m telling you, there’s nothing between me and him!”

“Why is he giving you gifts then, huh?”

“He’s been trying to date me since high school but I’m not interested!”

"You sure about that? Is that why you keep stringing him along?”

And that was when she had lost it on him. 

“I am NOT stringing him along!! God!! YOU’RE SO DENSE!!!” She exploded, clenching her fists, her power crackling in response to her anger.

“You don’t have to fucking yell at me! Stupid girl!” Inuyasha snarled back. 

“I am NOT the stupid one!! Ugh! Just go!!” She yelled.

“I aint goin’ anywhere.” He said stubbornly.

“Just the sight of you is pissing me off! Leave me alone or I swear I’ll zap you into next year!!” She threatened, taking a step forward.

Her power swirled in response and he swallowed, his ears twitching. Shit. She was serious. Fuck, she was so touchy. Still, it was better not to poke the bear anymore right now, not when that bear could make good on her threats and purify his ass. Damn she was pissed. He scowled back at her.

“Fine, if that’s what you want. I didn’t wanna look at your ugly face anymore, anyways! I’m tired of protecting your useless ass!” He barked, and he tried not to notice how her face briefly twisted in hurt before reverting back to the glare she had pinned on him. Fuck, he was an asshole.

He leapt back up into the trees and Kagome stormed back into the house.

“Have another argument with Inuyasha, sis?” Sota, her younger brother asked. She ignored him and marched up the stairs into her bedroom, slamming the door so hard the whole house shook.

How could Inuyasha have assumed that of her? What a jerk! He had the audacity to act jealous when he wasn’t even interested in her. It’s not like he ever tried to make a move on her or anything but yet he acted like she wasn’t allowed to see other guys. The nerve! Not to mention she had practically confessed to him a week ago.

_“Because I wanted to. You’re important to me.”_

That was as close to saying she had feelings for him as she could get without actually saying it outright. How was he so dense?? She grabbed her pillow and screamed into it to release her frustration. Why had she decided to fall for such an aggravating man? Not that she had really _decided_ it. Her heart certainly did not consult with her head when it made the choice on her behalf. Ugh. Half the time she wanted to hold him and the other half she wanted to strangle him. She wasn’t just mad at him either...she didn’t want to admit it, but his last comment had hurt more than it probably should have.

_Ugly. Useless. Tired of protecting your ass._

She was _not_ useless. She glared into her pillow. As for the other comments...well she wasn’t ugly either. Sure she wasn’t the most beautiful girl in the world but she was pretty enough, she thought. It just hurt that Inuyasha apparently didn’t think the same. What an asshole. She had known he was a jerk from the moment she first met him but that hadn’t stopped her from falling for him which made her an idiot.

“Kagome, you are such an idiot.” She muttered to herself as tears gathered in her eyes.

~☆~

An hour later Inuyasha was finishing up a chat with Kagome’s grandfather. The damn girl was still sulking in her room so bringing her was out of the question. Sure he had said a few things he probably shouldn’t have but she hadn’t needed to blow up on him like that. So he would just ask Miroku to go with him instead. It helped that it was someone Miroku had assisted in the past and Inuyasha knew that because he had accompanied him on that particular job. 

He called Miroku from the home phone in the Higurashi residence. Miroku had been pestering him since forever to get his own cell phone but he had balked at the idea. They were always making so many noises, beeping and ringing and buzzing. It was fucking annoying. 

“Hello?” Miroku answered.

“Hey. Get your ass over here and bring Sango.” He said shortly.

“Ah, Inuyasha. What a surprise. Why?”

“You and me are going on a job. I need Sango to look after Kagome while we’re gone.”

“And you can’t bring Kagome with you because…?”

“Just get over here, would ya?”

“What did you do?”

“Why do you assume I’m the one who did something??” Inuyasha asked hotly.

“Because it’s you I’m talking to. If something happened between you guys it’s probably your fault.” Miroku replied dryly.

“Look, can you come or not?”

“We’ll be on our way soon.”

~☆~

Sango parked her car at the Higurashi shrine and she and Miroku got out. He had briefly explained to her the situation on the way over. She thought the whole thing was stupid; Inuyasha just needed to apologize to Kagome for whatever it was he had done. She was sure she would be hearing about it later from the priestess. Regardless, Sango wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity to spend the evening with her best friend. It had been a while since they had had some one on one time with each other.

As she walked beside Miroku, she thought back to that morning a week ago after being nearly drowned by that evil spirit. She had expected to feel a little awkward with Miroku after her forwardness with him the night before but surprisingly there had been none. It was almost weird. When she had gotten out of bed he had greeted her with a wide grin, clearly still thrilled about her brief display of affection, and she had given a small smile back. He hadn’t made any comments, but he had left a few lingering touches on her shoulder and waist when passing her in the kitchen and she found she hadn’t minded in the slightest. It had almost felt...natural. And things had continued like that with them for the past week. Not only was she allowing his touch, she found herself enjoying it, not that she let _him_ know that. Still, she hadn’t let anything else happen between them since.

They walked up to the house and Inuyasha was waiting outside for them impatiently.

“Finally. Took ya long enough.” He complained.

“Keep complaining and I’ll get right back in that car.” Sango said, giving him an unamused look. Inuyasha just scoffed.

“If you guys don’t mind I’m going to go pay my respects to Kagome’s grandfather. I’ll be back momentarily.” Miroku said before walking into the house and leaving Sango alone with Inuyasha.

“You know, I’ve never seen him like this with any other girl.” Inuyasha said after a short silence.

“Y-you mean Miroku?” Sango asked, stuttering a little in surprise at Inuyasha bringing the topic up.

“Who the fuck else would I be talking about? Obviously I mean Miroku.”

“Did he put you up to this?” She asked suspiciously. Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

“Please. I’m just doing this because listening to him whining about you is fucking annoying. Just date him already and put me out of my misery.”

“That’s not exactly a convincing reason.” It was Sango’s turn to roll her eyes.

“Look. I’ve known Miroku for ten years. I’ve never seen him be this hung up on a girl for this long before. Ever. If I wasn’t seeing it myself I wouldn’t believe it, but that womanizer has finally fallen for someone.”

“This long? It’s been three weeks.”

“Exactly. This is a record for him.”

“What are you trying to say?”

"He's the love-them-then-leave-them type. At least he was until he met you. I don’t know what you did to him but he’s totally set on you. "

"He hasn't 'loved' me yet so he can't leave me." Sango argued stubbornly.

"You said 'yet'." Inuyasha pointed out, smirking.

Sango blushed at her slip of the tongue. "Th-that is-- I didn't mean-- !"

"Whatever. Trust me. I know that idiot. You're the one. Even if he does ‘ _love’_ you he'll never leave you. You're it for him."

Miroku reappeared at the door, sparing Sango from the rest of the conversation.

"Alright, let's go." Inuyasha said, beginning to lead the way.

"We'll probably be back late. Try not to miss me too much." Miroku winked at her, brushing her shoulder with his hand as he passed her.

"Not likely." She replied.

"Stop flirting and get movin'!" Inuyasha yelled and Sango snickered.

"You heard him. You better get going. Bye." She said. Miroku just gave a smile and wave then turned around, quickly catching up with Inuyasha. 

She entered the Higurashi residence and made her way up the stairs to Kagome's room, knocking at the door. Kagome opened it and looked surprised to see her.

"Sango? What are you doing here?"

Oh boy. Obviously Inuyasha hadn't told her. Sango quickly explained and Kagome's face was livid by the time she was done.

“See! This is why I told you he doesn’t care!! But you know what?? It’s fine!” Kagome exclaimed. “So you know what _we’re_ doing?? We’re going out tonight!!”

“We are?” Sango asked, entering her bedroom fully and shutting the door.

“Yes! We’re going to have a girls night away from those stupid insufferable idiots!’” She went to her closet and started pulling clothes out, continuing her rant. “Can’t even tell me he’s leaving. Guess I’m just not good enough for him to protect, well whatever I’m tired of that asshole too! Ugh!!”

“Kagome, what exactly did he do earlier that has you so mad?”

“Oh nothing, just didn't you know?? I’m useless!! So I guess my useless ass will just take myself to a club and find someone who maybe finds me useful!!”

“Uhm...I feel like this is a bad idea.”

“It’ll be fine!! He doesn’t need me anyway!!! I just get in the way and he’d prefer for Miroku to be with him anyway! Consider him discharged!!! Come on!! Let’s get dressed!!! We haven’t done this in forever!!!!!”

Sango felt like she was in the middle of a rock and a hard place but ultimately, her best friend needed a night out. She was obviously very upset by whatever happened between her and the dog demon and she needed to get away.

“Ok sure, let’s do it.” She agreed, giving in. Kagome clearly needed an outlet for her frustration and to be honest, Sango wasn’t entirely opposed to the idea either. They really hadn’t done anything like this in forever and with everything happening and how hard it was trying to fight her feelings for Miroku...well she could use a night out too.

~☆~

Three hours later they were finally dressed and in the club and Kagome was already two shots of tequila deep. And they had only arrived about twenty minutes ago. Sango had taken one shot with her best friend and was working on her own cocktail meanwhile Kagome was in the process of ordering another round of shots for the two of them. And another round. And another round...

Sango was no lightweight herself but Kagome, being a priestess, didn’t usually imbibe much alcohol and she was already looking tipsy. Maybe she better send a text to Miroku to be on the safe side…  
  


**_Sango:_ **   
_Hey, whatever Inuyasha did I hope you can fix it because I’m probably going to be indisposed here shortly. Whatever your best friend did has Kagome going off the deep end._

**_Miroku:_ **  
_???  
_ _What does that mean  
  
_ **_Sango:_ ** **_  
_** _Honestly I don’t even know. The alcohol is starting to hit_

 **_Miroku:  
_** _A_ _lcohol??_  
  


Sango didn’t respond because Gimme More by Britney Spears suddenly came over the speakers and Kagome screamed in excitement.

“Yes!!! This is my bitch!!! Britney!!”

Kagome was officially drunk and Sango was well on her way there herself. She grinned and squealed with her friend as they started dancing to the music. Why had she thought this was going to be a bad idea?? This was the best idea ever!! She was having so much fun! Who needed to think about their feelings for a certain indigo-eyed monk when you could just get drunk and dance instead!

The music pulsed and the colored strobe lights flashed in the dim room as she and Kagome danced and drank their feelings away. Maybe they would regret it in the morning but tonight, this was going to be the funnest and most carefree night she had in a long time.

~☆~

It was nearing midnight when they finally arrived back at the Higurashi shrine. The job had been a bit more difficult than they had been expecting, and another demon with a rune branded onto its forehead had shown up. Inuyasha and him had handled it after a few complications. More concerning to Miroku was the text he had received from Sango a couple hours ago.

Standing outside their home, Miroku grabbed Inuyasha, making him pause before entering the house.

“Inuyasha, I don’t know what we’re walking into.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“So I got this text from Sango earlier…” Miroku trailed off, not sure how to finish the sentence.

“Yeah and? Is that stupid girl still moping? I’m gonna go give her a piece of my mind.” Inuyasha groused, shrugging off Miroku’s grip and striding into the house. Miroku sighed and followed him in. Inuyasha disappeared up the stairs and two seconds later--

“Where the fuck are they?!”

That caught Miroku’s attention. Come to think of it...he hadn’t seen Sango’s car outside when they had arrived. _The alcohol is starting to hit._ That’s what Sango had said. Miroku had a feeling he had an idea of where they were now and Inuyasha was not going to like it.

Sota had emerged from his bedroom at the half demon’s outburst and stood at the top of the staircase where Inuyasha was getting ready to come careening down.

“Oh hey guys. You’re back. Yeah Kagome and Sango left hours ago.” He said.

“Where the fuck--” Inuyasha started.

“Did they say where they were going?” Miroku interrupted. 

“Yeah actually. Kagome said she had a special message for Inuyasha.” Sota answered.

This was going to be good. Trying to keep a straight face, Miroku asked what it was while Inuyasha just continued to glare, looking increasingly agitated.

“Uhm…” Sota looked slightly uncomfortable. “She said, uh…”

“Well spit it out.” Inuyasha snapped.

“She said to tell you that she and Sango were going out to the club and don’t come looking for her; you’ve been dismissed from your duty to protect her as she was a useless piece of ass. Sango was here by charged with protecting her but not to worry. She wasn’t going to look for trouble because she doesn’t want to risk the chance of you seeing her ugly face. Oh and one last thing…” Sota got real close to his ear and wet willied him. “She said something about it was the alcohol talking? I don’t know. OH, and, ‘fuck you’.”

“What the FUCK was that!!” He yelped, jumping away from Sota. “That bitch said _that_? Where the fuck is she??!”

Miroku lost the battle with himself and snickered. This was just too good. He wished he could high five Kagome.

“Uhm, well I can probably find her location with snapchat.” Sota offered.

“Inuyasha, she literally told you to not go looking for her.” Miroku input.

“Yeah well she aint the boss of me!” Inuyasha snapped.

“You realize if you were a little bit more honest with how you feel this probably wouldn’t have happened. And acted like less of a jackass and didn’t push away anyone who actually admits they give a damn about you.”

“Shut the fuck up--”

“No my friend, you have dug yourself in deep this time. I’m positive what we will find tonight is not going to be good. You unfortunately owe that all to yourself.”

“Whatever!! Fine!! It’s my fuckin’ fault! Can we just go get them now before anything else happens and this runt spits in my ear again!?”

Sota only laughed and pulled up Kagome’s snapchat bitmoji gesturing to Miroku where his sister was. Miroku had been to the club before and smiled mischievously. ' _Oh Kagome_ ,' he thought. ' _How trashed did you get my lovely Sango?'_

Inuyasha slipped his human glamour back on and they headed back out. It didn’t take them too long to get to the club in question, mostly due to how much Inuyasha was rushing them. Meanwhile Miroku had tried to text Sango several times and when that had gotten no response he had tried to call three times. No answer. Not a good sign.

Upon entering the club they had to pay a cover fee. Inuyasha had started to growl at the delay and Miroku merely put a calming hand on his friend’s arm while he got the cash out. The bouncer gave Inuyasha an odd look and Miroku did his best to hurry the transaction along. Then they were inside.

The music was loud and the lights were flashing and for a second they both stopped, trying to get their bearings and scour the crowd for the two girls. Hotel Room Service by Pitbull was blaring and the walls were practically vibrating from the bass.

Miroku’s eyes snagged on a familiar form and he had to do a double take to make sure he wasn’t seeing things. Sango was dancing on a table, her long dark brown hair flipping as she spun and swayed her hips, moving to the beat. Her arms raised before coming back down to touch herself and she bent over, slowly rising back up and giving him an eyeful of her magnificent ass. The red top she was wearing showcased an impressive amount of cleavage and the pair of black leather shorts she had on were hugging her body like a second skin. Low red heels encased feet that stepped in time to the beat. She looked amazing. And so damn sexy.

“Wow,” was all he said. Sango apparently had a much more sexual side to her than he had realized. Or at least, she could certainly dance. _Very_ provocatively. And that discovery positively delighted him.

“Where the fuck is that--” Inuyasha cut off as he finally spotted her in the throng of people.

Kagome was in front of the table Sango was currently dancing on and some guy was behind her, grinding up on her while she danced obliviously. She had her arms raised to the ceiling and was cheering on Sango. It had been hard to spot her because not only was her back turned to him but this strange guy was practically wrapped around her and that pissed Inuyasha off. He set off, determined to pull him off of her. No one but him was allowed to touch her like that. A thought like that would have ordinarily given him pause, this possessiveness of her, but he didn’t much care at the moment. He had to go make sure that dickwad knew he was touching what was _his_.

Miroku followed Inuyasha and they pressed through the crowd to where the women were apparently having the time of their lives. Halfway there Sango spun in her little dance again and caught sight of him just as the song changed to Slow Down by Selena Gomez. She looked surprised at first then she grinned, which was Miroku’s first sign that she was drunk. His second sign was when she squealed and jumped down at him, stumbling into him and wrapping her arms around his neck.

“Mirokuuuuuu! You’re here!” She yelled happily, looking up at him with eyes glazed over with alcohol. She had done her makeup, her eyes rimmed with black liner, lashes fanned up and out with mascara, her trademark pink eyeshadow swiped across her eyelids and her lips were painted a cherry red. She began to dance while holding onto him and he grinned at her.

“I tried to text and call you. Inuyasha and I were a little worried something may have happened when you didn’t answer so we came.” That wasn’t entirely the truth but it was close enough.

She stopped dancing and pulled out her phone. Her face scrunched up as she saw all the missed texts and calls. 

“Oooh. You did! I’m sssssorry. I didn’t hear!” She apologized, slurring a bit, looking back at him in distress.

“It’s ok. I’m just glad you’re fine.”

“I’m perfect!”

“Yes, yes you are.”

Sango held her phone up to her ear and looked at him earnestly. “Here. Call me again right now. I promise I’ll answer this time!”

Miroku smothered the laughter that threatened to burst out with a cough. “That's not really necessary.”

She started dancing again and suddenly grabbed onto him, pulling him close.

“Can I tell you a secret?” She giggled in his ear. “I _reaaaaally_ like you. Shhhh!” She placed a finger on his lips. “You can’t let anyyybody know, though. Not even...yourself.”

“Oh, my dear Sango. How drunk are you right now?”

“Very! Kagome bought us a lot of shots!” She assured him. Then she started to sing along to the lyrics of the song while she looked into his eyes, dancing to the beat and smiling brightly, “I just wanna feel your body right next to miiiine, all night looooong, baby slow down the soooong. And when it’s comin’ closer to the end hit rewiiiiiind, all night looooong, baby slow down the soooooong!”

Miroku grinned, settling a hand on her hip and dancing with her. This was the best thing that had happened to him in a long time.

Meanwhile Inuyasha had marched right up to where Kagome had been dancing and forcefully grabbed the guy’s arm, pulling him off of her. The guy looked around at him with a pissed expression.

“Hey, find your own girl to dance with! This bitch is taken.”

“Yeah she is. By me. Get lost.” Inuyasha ground out.

“Who the fuck are you??” The guy asked, getting belligerent. 

Inuyasha bared his teeth and let his human glamour drop for just a second, letting the guy get an eyeful of his half demon form. The guy’s eyes widened.

“Your worst fucking nightmare if you don’t leave her alone.” Inuyasha growled in answer.

The other guy beat a hasty retreat and Kagome turned around as if noticing him for the first time. Inuyasha took in his first real sight of her since arriving at the club. A tight short skirt hugged her hips and ass and she wore a blue crop top that covered her breasts and little else. The outfit was completed with black ankle-high boots. Her hair was swept back into a half ponytail high on the top of her head, the rest of her hair falling down her back in a black waterfall. Her makeup was done, mascara defining her eyelashes while black eyeliner gave her eyes a catlike appearance. She had on sparkly blue eyeshadow to match her shirt and her lips and cheeks were pink. She pouted those pink lips at him. Oh fuck. She was fucking beautiful. Dammit.

“Inuyashaaa. Why did you do _thaaat_?? We were having fun. Wait.” She blinked in confusion. “Why are you here?”

“That guy was all over you! I did you a favor. And I’m here to drag your ass home.”

“Why do you even want me to come home...I’m just useless and ugly and you’re tired of me!!” Kagome shot back, looking like she was torn between anger and tears. She hiccuped.

“Don’t be difficult, just come home, would ya?”

“No!!! That guy didn’t... find me useless like... you dooo!! I told... you not to come looking for me!!! Sango is here---Sangoooooooooo!!!” Kagome yelled at him, seemingly having to pause and think about her words as she spoke followed by her waving to her very drunk distracted friend.

“L-look, I didn’t mean those things I said, ok?” Inuyasha said by way of apology, trying to calm her before she went full on hysterical. Kagome seemed to perk up at his words.

“R-really??” She clutched at his shirt, swaying a little on her feet. The scent of alcohol on her breath was overpowering, especially to his sensitive nose. She was so wasted.

“Yeah. Can we go now?” Inuyasha said, flushing a little at how closely she was pressing herself against him.

“Only if you dance with me!” Kagome told him suddenly as the music changed again.

“Oh hell no.” Inuyasha refused, trying to back away. This situation was already far more than he had bargained for. Kagome didn’t let him go though, and she pinned him with a stare.

“I’m not leaving til we dance together!!”

“Then I’ll just have to carry your ass out of here, won’t I?”

“Then I’ll...just yell! And they’ll call security on...your ass.” Kagome threatened sweetly, bouncing to the rhythm of the song.

Fuck it. She wasn’t likely to remember most, if any, of this anyways with how drunk she was.

“F-fine. You’re lucky you’re so damn cute.” Inuyasha relented, his face still flushed. Miroku had told him to be honest so fine, he would be honest. The fact that her memory of this would be fuzzy at best didn’t hurt either.

“You think I’m cute??!” Kagome smiled like that was the best thing in the world to possibly hear.

“Well yeah…” Inuyasha didn’t meet her eyes.

“I thought...you thought I was ugly.”

“I already told you I didn’t mean any of that!”

“Yay!” She cheered and started dancing, moving against him, pressing her body close. He had never really danced before, and certainly not like this, and wasn’t entirely sure what he should be doing with his own body. He wrapped an arm around her because that’s what it looked like all the other guys in this place were doing with the girls they were dancing with.

Miroku had been trying to convince Sango it was finally time to go when the song changed to Into You by Ariana Grande and she had looked at him, exclaiming, “But I love this song!!!!”

She was way too cute and sexy for him to turn her down so he had agreed to one more song. Her smile at that was worth it. Honestly he wouldn’t mind staying here all night with her but she was so drunk. The responsible thing to do would be to get her home, get her to drink some water, and get her in bed.

He chanced a glance over at Inuyasha and saw that Kagome was just as, if not more so, trashed than Sango. The priestess was practically hanging off of the half demon while he tried to dance with her, somewhat awkwardly. There was no mistaking the possessive grip he had on her waist though.

Miroku turned his attention back to the woman in his own arms. She pressed that sweet body of hers against him and he nearly groaned, holding her to him while he danced with her. She began singing along to the lyrics again, pulling back to look into his eyes swaying her hips into him.

“So baby come light me up, and baby I’ll let you ooon it! A little bit dangerous, but baby that’s how I waaaant it! A little less conversation, and a little more touch my bodyyy--!” She pressed herself to him at that line before continuing in his ear, “‘Cause I’m soooo into youuuu, into youuu, into youuuu!”

“I would love to if you actually meant that.” Miroku told her. “But you’re very drunk right now.”

Still dancing, she stopped singing long enough to reply, “But I dooo. I just...don’t want you to know...that I do. Remember? It’s a secret! But I’m very...into youuuu!!"

“Right, of course. I’m sorry for forgetting.” He smiled at her, doing his best not to laugh. He wondered if she knew how inadvertently hilarious she was when she was drunk. God, she was so fucking cute.

“It’s ok!” She assured him.

Miroku looked back over to Inuyasha and it looked like Kagome was treating him to her own personal concert as well. She was still hanging onto him and bumping her hips against his.

“Oh, baby look what you started! The temperature’s rising in here! Is this gonna happen? Been waiting and waiting for you to make a mooove! Beforrre I make a moooove! So baby come light me up!” 

Inuyasha cast a look his way, almost desperately. Miroku didn’t see what the problem was. Kagome was having a good time and he knew Inuyasha definitely wasn’t opposed to the way the priestess kept bumping and grinding on him; he knew his friend had feelings for her which is why he had told him to maybe start being honest instead of acting like a jackass. Inuyasha didn’t seem to know what to do with himself, though.

“A little help here, Miroku!!” He called to the monk over the music.

Sango chose that moment to turn around and back up into him and he obligingly settled his hands around her hips as she moved to the music. She threw her head back as she swayed.

“I’m a little busy here, Inuyasha! And honestly, I’m enjoying myself immensely! I suggest you try to do the same!” He called back.

Inuyasha sputtered but Miroku tuned him back out. In another couple minutes the song was going to end and he was going to take Sango home so he wanted to savor these remaining moments. He didn’t know when, if ever, something like this would happen again. Drunk Sango was very uninhibited and much more honest with her feelings than her sober self and he was thrilled about the whole situation. He even considered thanking Inuyasha for driving Kagome to this in the first place and he had no idea why he had thought they would not like what they found in the club. He was _loving_ what he had found, personally.

Then the song ended before changing again to one he didn’t recognize. He held back his sigh of disappointment at this unexpected night coming to an end.

“Ok Sango, it’s time to go.” He told her, leaning down close to her ear so she would hear him over the music. She turned around to face him and pouted.

“But I was having so much fun with you.” She said, sighing her own disappointment. “But okayyyy.”

She relaxed against him as he led her to the exit, his arm around her waist partly to support her and partly because he could. He convinced her to give him her car keys so he could drive them home; no way was she getting behind the wheel like this. As they walked he glanced back and saw Inuyasha was finally having success at getting Kagome to leave as well.

“Ok. I danced with ya, can we go now?” Inuyasha said to Kagome, although if he was being more honest with himself he had actually enjoyed it. She was all over him and smiling at him so brightly and it was stirring some other not so innocent feelings within him.

“Mmm okay. But you have to carry me home.” She agreed.

“Fine, fine. I was gonna do that anyways.”

“Yay! I love it when you carry me.”

Inuyasha felt instant relief the moment they left the club and walked out into the night air. It had been so fucking loud, all those people brushing against him...but the worst part had been all those scents. The place had positively reeked of sweat and arousal, the latter not helping his own...feelings.

He crouched down, letting her onto his back and ignoring the looks they were getting from the few people still on the street at this time of night. It took her a moment due to how drunk she was but she finally managed and he was careful to hold onto her extra tight in case she lost her grip. She sighed happily.

After a few minutes of walking she started humming and it sounded like the same song she had been singing to him in the club. Shifting herself a bit, she pressed herself to his back tightly, and he sucked in a breath at the feel of her soft breasts being crushed against him. But that was nothing compared to when she reached up and touched one of his dog ears, rubbing it between her fingers.

“Wh-what are you doing?!”

She stopped humming and replied, “I’m touching your ears!”

“I can tell, I mean wh-why??”

“I’ve wanted to touch them since the first time I saw you.” She confided in him. 

“Seriously?”

Instead of answering him she continued to play with his ears. “Oooh they’re so soft and fuzzy and cute. I love your ears!!” 

He was sure she didn’t know this, but his ears were actually very sensitive and the way she was touching them, combined with the fact this was _her_ touching them and the way she was pressing up against him...he was definitely getting turned on. This was not good.

“Inuyashaaa.” Kagome murmured before burying her face into his neck and he immediately stiffened...in more ways than one. She breathed deeply and nuzzled him.

“K-k-kagome???” He stammered out. _‘What the fuck is happening??’_ The thought raced through his mind.

“You smell good.” She told him, her face still against his neck and he felt her lips brush his skin as she spoke. Oh God. “Do I smell good to you, too??” 

“Yeah… you do. Really good.” His voice was strained.

This admission seemed to please her and she nuzzled him some more. Speeding up, he hurried them home, determined to end this before she pushed him into doing something that she probably wasn’t ready for. Not to mention, she was drunk. She wasn’t in her right mind. It wouldn’t be...right.

After what seemed like an eternity he got her home and in her bedroom. She removed her boots, needing to hold onto him for balance so she didn’t pitch over onto the floor. When she started to unzip her skirt with him in the room he had blushed and hastily exited with the excuse of getting her some water. Upon returning he cautiously peeked through the door to make sure she was properly dressed first and saw she had her sleep clothes on. She smiled at him and accepted the glass of water.

“Thank you.” She told him, then as he made to leave she grabbed onto his hand. “Stay with me. Please.” She pleaded at him with those big brown eyes of hers. Fuck. She was too cute.

“Can we cuddle?” She asked him shyly, blushing as she sat down on her bed, still holding his hand. He swallowed. If he got on that bed with her they would not be cuddling.

“I-I’ll stay here, but I’m not getting in that bed with ya.” Inuyasha tried to compromise. She seemed disappointed by that answer but nodded her agreement. He turned off the light as she got under the covers then he settled himself against the side of her bed, sitting with his back to her.

“Inuyasha?” 

“Hmm?”

“Can I hold onto you?”

“How are ya gonna do that?”

In answer she shifted herself to the edge of her bed and draped an arm down over his shoulder around his neck, burying her face into his hair. He didn’t complain; he was sure she would be pissed again at him tomorrow since it was doubtful she would remember any of this. That was fine by him. For now, he would enjoy the contact with her as he likely wouldn’t be able to again. No one ever loved a half breed. Besides, he could handle her and her spitfire attitude. It was one of the many things he loved about her. It wasn’t long until she was asleep.

~☆~

Meanwhile Miroku had taken Sango home to his apartment as it was closer than her own. He had practically carried her up the stairs while she giggled at him. This was certainly a side of Sango he had never expected to see and it somehow made him love her even more. That thought gave him slight pause-- love. Maybe it was too soon to label it that, but they had gone through some intense experiences together and spent almost all their time together now. He was sure those were special extenuating circumstances. Either way, he knew what he felt. 

He filled her up a glass of water as she changed into the sleep clothes she had left at his place for the nights they spent there. When she came out he handed her the glass of water and watched her, making sure she drank it all then filled it up again.

“But Mirokuuu, I’m not thirsty anymooore.” She protested.

“Trust me, you’ll thank me in the morning.”

“I’m hungry.”

“You didn’t have dinner, did you?”

“Nope.”

Smiling, he made her a bowl of instant ramen without complaint and convinced her to drink her water. When the ramen was done he set it in front of her where she sat at the small kitchen table. 

“Thank you. You’re the beeest. But don’t let yourself know I said that.” She told him. He laughed. Halfway into her meal her hand slipped, tipping the bowl and spilling it all over herself.

“Oh no!” She said, standing up and stumbling a little bit, almost tripping on the chair. “Sorry.”

“It’s alright.” He assured her, fetching some towels from a drawer. When he turned back around she was pulling her shirt off.

“S-sango! What are you doing?” He exclaimed. She paused and looked at him.

“But it’s dirty. I have to take it off now.” She said as if it was obvious. 

As much as he would love the free show she was about to provide him he knew sober Sango would not appreciate it. Therefore it was up to him to protect her modesty since that clearly was not a concern for her right now. He gently took her arm and led her to his bedroom where he grabbed her a t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants.

“Here, change into these. Please don’t come out unless you’re fully dressed.”

“Okaaay.”

He left her to it and cleaned up the ramen mess. A couple minutes later he heard her reenter the room. He looked up and nearly choked. She was wearing his t-shirt and nothing else. The shirt brushed the top of her thighs, barely covering her. He had to remind himself to breathe and think pure thoughts because the sight of her in nothing but his shirt was _doing_ things to him.

“Miroku? What’s wrong?” She asked as she walked up to him. He stared at her bare beautifully shaped legs, trying to banish the image of having them wrapped tightly around him from his mind. Swallowing, he looked up to her face and she was suddenly standing right in front of him.

“What happened to the sweatpants?” He managed.

“They were too hot.”

“I-I see…”

“Mirokuuu.” She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly. “I really like youuu.”

It took a moment for him to find his voice so he could reply. “Sango, I think you should probably go to bed now.” He finally said. This was headed in a direction that was going to push his self control to its limits. He had to end this quickly.

“Okay.” She agreed, still holding onto him. “Come to bed with me then.”

Oh God. Fuck, he wanted to say yes so bad but he wouldn’t take advantage of her drunken state. He cared about her too much and besides, it wouldn’t be right. He wasn’t that kind of man.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” He told her.

“Pleaseee.” She begged him, and pulled herself up to kiss his jaw. His breath hitched at the feel of her lips on his skin. He tried to disentangle himself from her but she held on tightly, giving his jaw another kiss, before moving her lips down to his neck where she pressed a kiss at the point his pulse was beating rapidly. He felt lightheaded.

“Sango.” He choked out as she rubbed a leg against one of his own, pressing herself into him. Shit. His body was responding to her advances and he couldn’t hold back the groan that escaped him. “Sango, please. You’re making this so hard.” _In more ways than one_ he added silently. 

With an enormous effort, he pulled her off of him, holding her at arm’s length. She looked at him with a wounded expression and her beautiful brown eyes started to fill with tears. Fuck. It wasn’t like he wanted to reject her but he couldn’t, _wouldn’t_ take her like this. And she would thank him in the morning for his restraint.

“I-I thought you wanted me.” She said, looking at him in confusion and hurt.

“Trust me, there’s nothing I want more right now, Sango. I want you so bad it hurts.” 

That much was true. He was so hard it was causing him physical pain. As soon as he got Sango settled into his bed he was going to have to go take matters into his own hands. Literally. No amount of pure thoughts and cold showers was going to soothe this sexual frustration she had arisen in him.

“Then whyyy?” Her voice wobbled.

“You’re very drunk and not in a position to give consent for something like this. I won’t take advantage of you.” He replied even as she reached for him again. He caught her hand in his and gave it a squeeze before firmly pushing it back to her side. “If you still feel the same in the morning I’ll be more than happy to take you up on your offer, but something tells me that’s not going to be the case.”

“O-okayy…” She said, looking dejected. 

“Here, let’s get you into bed.” He said, taking her hand and yet again leading her into his bedroom. He grabbed her another glass of water as she got under the covers, leaving it on the nightstand. She would appreciate it in the morning.

Before he left he cradled her face in one hand and bent over, kissing her gently on her forehead. She smiled up at him at that.

“You do care.” She said happily.

“Always. Good night, my dear Sango.”

“Good night, Miroku. Love youuu.”

His heart skipped a few beats at that last part. _‘She’s drunk and probably doesn’t even realize what she’s saying. It doesn’t mean anything.’_ he told himself as he turned out the light and shut the door.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to lavendertwilight89 for being my beta and to hnnwnchstr for being my hype woman <3
> 
> I love comments!!

Kagome groaned as she awoke, already wishing she was back asleep again. Waking up was a mistake. Drinking as much as she had last night had been a mistake. She couldn’t even remember how much alcohol she had had...she was scared to see the bill she had run up at the club. Speaking of remembering, she couldn’t even really remember last night either. It was all kind of a vague blur.

Opening her eyes was a decision she immediately regretted and she was unable to control her wince. She stared at the ceiling and it felt like the room was spinning. It was so bright. The blinds...she needed to close the blinds. But that meant she had to get out of bed and the thought of moving made her stomach heave. Oh God, she felt awful. Her mouth and throat were so dry she could barely swallow and suddenly the need for water was all-consuming. Forcing her eyes open again she blinked against the light of morning and she became aware of the fact that she wasn’t alone in her bedroom. 

“Hey.” Inuyasha greeted her and she rolled over to the sound of his voice. He was watching her intently with his bright gold eyes, sitting at the side of her bed. What was he doing in her room while she slept? She tried to remember. The last thing she recalled was being incredibly pissed at him. Opening her mouth she tried to ask him what the hell he was doing there but all that came out was a croak. She was so damn thirsty. Her head hurt so bad. This had to be the worst hangover she had ever had.

Sitting up she grabbed at the glass of the water that was blessedly sitting on her nightstand and downed it all in one go. The cool liquid felt so good on her parched throat but the movement of sitting up had her stomach heaving again. She gagged, covering her mouth with a hand. 

“Don’t feel so good, huh?” Inuyasha observed. 

Kagome was sure he was speaking in a normal tone of voice but it sounded so loud to her ears. Everything was too much. She felt like death. This was all his fault, she decided. If he hadn’t gotten her so mad and then left without telling her she would never have drank herself into such a stupor. She turned a glare on him.

He didn’t look impressed but she imagined she probably didn’t cut a very intimidating figure at the moment. She didn’t care. She may not remember much of the night but she certainly remembered everything leading up to it.

“Why are you in my bedroom?” She finally managed.

“You don’t remember, do you?”

“Obviously not.”

He sighed and looked torn between relief and disappointment.

“I figured that would be the case.” He said after a moment.

“You should probably leave. I bet I’m looking extra ugly right now.” 

“Are you still mad about that??”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

“I apologized already!”

“Well I don’t remember it.”

“How is that my fault??!”

“This whole thing is your fault. Also if you’re going to raise your voice please leave...my head hurts so bad.” That last part came out more pitifully than she intended.

He huffed and crossed his arms but didn’t leave. “Fine. I’m sorry. _Again_. Alright? I didn’t mean any of what I said.”

“Right. You sound real sorry.”

“What the fuck do you want me to say?”

“It doesn’t matter anymore. Please just go.”

“Well you weren’t so interested in getting me to go last night when you begged me to stay with you.”

Kagome froze at that, blushing, and her heart started beating faster from the anxiety those words caused. Oh God, what had she _done_ last night?? Bits and pieces were starting to come back to her but when she tried to think too hard about the flashes of memory a sharp pain split through her head. Ughh.

“When I what??” 

“That’s right, you heard me. You grabbed onto me and wouldn’t let me leave you.” He smirked as if her embarrassment was a victory for him. Asshole.

“W-well...I was obviously really drunk so you don’t have to worry about forcing yourself to stay with me anymore. I’m sober now so it’s fine. You can leave my useless ugly self in the care of Sango. I can call her and get her to take over looking after my safety.”

“I said I was sorry and that I. Didn’t. Mean. Any. Of. It!!” Inuyasha’s already short patience was wearing thin at this back and forth thing they had going. He had known she would likely be pissed again at him but this was ridiculous. How many fucking times did he have to apologize?

“Just because you didn’t mean it, doesn’t mean you didn’t say it.” She replied stubbornly. “You can’t take it back. That means that some part of you still thought it. So you can just forget anything that happened last night; I’m sorry I came onto you, but that’s obviously something you’d never even consider anyway. I don’t want you here out of guilt or pity."

“Fine! You’re being fucking impossible right now. And no, I’m not giving your care over to Sango so stop sayin’ that!”

Kagome opened her mouth to argue back but she retched instead and covered her mouth with her hands, trying not to throw up. This day was already sucking.

“Talk to me when you’re being reasonable!” Inuyasha snapped before leaving out of her window. He felt bad barking at her when she looked like she was going to be sick but talking to her right now was pointless. And she was pissing him off. Again.

Clearly she remembered nothing at all and worse, she wanted him to forget all of it. He couldn’t do that. Refused to do so. Even if she had been drunk at the time, she had expressed affection for him and pleaded with him to be with her. Stay with her. So he had. And here she thought it was out of fucking pity. Shit, why wouldn’t she just accept his apology and move on? Why was it always his fault?

Kagome watched his exit with regretful eyes and got her stomach back under control. Not being able to remember anything that was said or done last night coupled with her awful hangover had put her in a foul mood. She knew she was being stubborn and a little petty. Maybe Inuyasha had apologized but she hadn’t been ready to hear it. She was deeply hurt by his words. 

Even so, it appeared he had brought her home and taken care of her, putting up with her ridiculous drunk requests when he hadn’t had to. Surely that meant something? She would talk to him later when her head stopped pounding. For the time being she was going to lay in bed some more, at least until the room decided to stop spinning and she didn’t feel the urge to throw up anymore. Possibly take a cleansing bath to clear her head, and then she could fix things between her and Inuyasha.

~☆~

Sango had three thoughts upon awakening: 1. _No, just no_ , 2. _Water_ , and 3. _Oh God, oh God, what did I_ do _last night??_

The whole night was starting to come back to her as she laid in Miroku’s bed and tried to get her head to stop pounding. She was pretty sure the ceiling shouldn’t be spinning. Soon the need for water became too much and she forced herself to sit up. There was a full glass of water sitting on the nightstand and she vaguely remembered Miroku leaving it there for her. Bless that man.

Miroku. She couldn’t stop the cringe and blush as she remembered everything she had done and said last night. How was she going to face him? Maybe she could just lie back down and wait for herself to die of the embarrassment that was surely going to kill her. 

Logically, she knew she couldn’t lie there all day. She had to get up at some point and when she did, Miroku would be outside the door and she would have to see him. Remembering the things she had told him, basically confessing the feelings she had tried so hard to keep to herself...it made her want to crawl into a hole. But that was nothing compared to when she had practically wrapped herself around him while half naked and had begged him, _begged_ him, to sleep with her. That made her want to die. She covered her face with her hands.

There was only one thing she could do. Pretend she didn’t remember anything. 

She didn’t know how long she laid there but it was long enough for the room to stop moving and her head to stop aching so much. Crawling out from under the covers she saw her bare legs and cringed again at the memory of the way she had walked up to him in nothing but his shirt. She also remembered the way he had looked at her, like he couldn’t believe his eyes, the heat and desire in them for her. And the way he had tried so hard to be a gentleman despite the way she had kept throwing herself at him. 

Yeah, she was _definitely_ pretending she didn’t remember anything.

Putting on the sweatpants she had foregone last night she finally ventured out the door. She needed to stop acting so nervous or she was going to give herself away. Once she felt she had herself and her face under control, she walked out into the living room. The beating of her heart at the sight of Miroku sitting on the couch wasn’t something she could possibly control, though. It was a struggle to keep her breathing even.

He looked up at her entrance and smiled. She tried to decipher what kind of smile it was then mentally shook herself. Overanalyzing his actions was not going to do her any good and would only make her more obvious. 

“Good morning. How are you feeling?” He greeted her.

“Like death.” She answered honestly.

“I bet.” He laughed. “How much do you remember of last night?”

“Nothing.” She replied a little too quickly and he looked at her closely. She swallowed nervously.

“Really?”

“Y-yeah.” She stammered out.

“So you don’t remember begging me to sleep with you?”

Oh God, oh God!!! He had brought it up. No, no, no, no. She should have expected this considering this was _Miroku_ she was speaking to. Was it possible to die of embarrassment? Her control vanished as her face flushed and her eyes widened. For a moment she couldn’t make her mouth work and she just stared at him dumbly.

“You don’t mind if I put on some music do you?” He asked her, with a gleam in his eyes. Before she could respond he started playing Into You by Ariana Grande on his bluetooth speaker. Then he turned around to gauge her reaction.

Although the music wasn’t very loud the sound still rang sharply through her head and she grimaced. Ugh. The memories of the way she had pressed herself into him as she danced with him and sang the lyrics of the chorus to him surfaced in her mind. And her telling him that yes she _was_ very into him. Between her humiliation and the headache she wondered if he was trying to kill her. Her face was burning and she still couldn’t find her voice to speak.

“I-I what?” She finally managed to ask. 

“This isn’t ringing any bells?” Miroku returned.

“Wh-why would it?” Sango lied.

Miroku knew it was probably a little mean to be messing with her like this but she was definitely lying and he couldn’t help but poke at her a bit. Of course, he couldn’t blame her for not wanting to admit remembering. He imagined she had to be dying inside of embarrassment from her actions and the things she had let slip. He had thought she was adorable, although holding himself back from throwing her against the wall and having his way with her after the way she had begged him was probably one of the hardest things he had ever done. 

Still, she had revealed a lot of things she probably hadn’t been ready for him to hear. Or admit to herself. It was only natural that she would try to backpedal the whole situation. Miroku wasn’t about to let her do it without a fight, though. 

“You can rest assured your modesty stayed intact. Well, mostly. It was hard turning you down, though.” Miroku winked at her.

Of course, Sango remembered the whole thing, the way he had held back and the way she had almost cried at his seeming rejection. Mortifying didn’t begin to cover it. But she was committed to acting like she didn’t remember anything despite the fact that she had a feeling Miroku knew she was lying. The man was way too good at reading people.

“O-oh. I’m surprised you let such a golden opportunity slip through your fingers.” She tried to joke but it came out lamely.

“Oh it was beyond tempting. But I would never take advantage of you; I care about you too much. And anyways, I can wait ‘til you come to me sober.” Miroku replied honestly, saying the last part teasingly. 

Sango breathed a sigh of relief that he had seemed to finally drop the topic of her remembering last night. Even though she definitely recalled him saying something similar the previous night she was still a little touched at his words. She was sure saying no to her had probably been very difficult for him.

“Thank you.” She said sincerely, taking his hand before she could think better of it. He gave it a squeeze, brushing his thumb over her knuckles.

“No thanks are needed. I did what any decent guy would do.” He gave a half smile. “Besides, I got to have a beautiful woman in my bed, even if I couldn’t share it with her. Not yet, anyways.”

Sango didn’t know what possessed her, or maybe she was still drunk from last night. But something compelled her to pull him to her with the grip she had on his hand and she kissed him.

Her lips pressed against his and they were as soft as she had imagined and much better than anything she had dreamed. She allowed herself one moment to revel in the feel of warmth spreading through her at the contact before pulling away. It was a quick press of lips that ended in the space between one breath and the next, giving Miroku no time at all to respond until it was already over.

The sound of her heart pounding echoed in her ears as she looked into his face and saw him looking at her in shock. And then it shifted to something else much more dangerous and heated. She tried to let go of his hand but he wouldn't release it. Her breath came faster as he started to pull her closer again.

"M-Miroku…"

"You're the one who kissed me."

"That...that was a thank you. D-don't let it go to your head!" The excuse sounded lame even to her own ears. 

"Too late."

Although he wasn’t letting go of her hand she knew if she really wanted to she could pull away. He wouldn’t force anything on her that she didn’t want. And that was the problem-- she wanted him to kiss her-- but it would complicate things more than they already were. Maybe it was the release of all her pent up feelings last night or the way he had taken care of her when she was a drunken mess but she couldn’t bring herself to move.

Just as his lips were about to touch hers again his phone rang. Sango jerked as if coming back to reality and Miroku cursed the timing. 

“You should probably get that!” Sango said in a rush before making some excuse about needing to take a shower and scurrying off. Dammit. He had been _so_ close.

Miroku picked up his phone and saw it was his uncle calling.

“What is it?” He asked, unable to keep the annoyance from his voice at the interruption.

“Miroku! Boy, is that any way to speak to your uncle?” Mushin admonished from the other end of the line.

He closed his eyes, exhaling. His uncle was right; it wasn’t fair to take his frustration out on him. There was no way Mushin could have known what had been about to occur between him and Sango.

“I’m sorry, Uncle. Your call just came at an inopportune time.” He apologized. “What is it?”

“That’s better.” Mushin said, appearing to be mollified. “I called because I have some more information on that thing you came to speak to me about three weeks ago.”

“You mean the spellbook and the runes?” Miroku responded. His mind instantly shifted gears at his uncle's words.

"No, no, the other thing. Although I suppose they're connected. That dark priestess you told me about, Tsubaki was it?"

"Uncle, that was two weeks ago, not three, and that was a phone call."

"Oh, was it?"

"Have you been drinking again?"

"Only a few cups. I acquired some premium sake yesterday and it is simply divine."

Miroku would have made a comment about how it was eleven in the morning but that would have been pointless. Any time of day was good enough for drinking according to Mushin.

"Alright, what do you know about Tsubaki?" 

"Not much more than you already do, but I found out the name of the shrine she belonged to before she went rogue and was shunned. It's in the next town over, called the Shikon Shrine. Lady Kaede is the Head Priestess there and she may have more information for you regarding Tsubaki. I spoke with her and told her to possibly expect a visit from you."

Well, that was something. Maybe this Lady Kaede could give some insight into Tsubaki. Anything was better than nothing at this point. They had nothing to go on currently as far as finding her. 

"Thank you, Uncle. That visit definitely won't be today, though." Miroku said.

"Got something better to do?" Mushin inquired archly.

"Our two lovely ladies are currently nursing hangovers from last night." Miroku replied dryly.

"Ohoho, women after my own heart." Mushin chuckled in approval.

After a couple more exchanges Miroku ended the call and pulled out his laptop, sitting back down on the couch. He decided to look into it while Sango showered.

~☆~

Sango took her time in the shower and used it to think. Miroku had been about to kiss her and she had run away like an idiot. Honestly, the only person complicating things between them was her. She was the one being ridiculous and trying to deny her feelings and she didn't even know why anymore. There were no more good excuses. She needed to be honest about her feelings and what she wanted. It wasn't fair to Miroku, but more importantly, she owed it to herself.

At first it had been easy to write him off-- he was a flirt and she was just his latest conquest. All his comments about her appearance and body had helped support her theory, but the more time they spent together the more it became clear he also cared about her as a person. Between saving her life, putting up with her drunkenness last night, and a multitude of other things he had proven himself many times over to be worthy of her trust. It was time to finally be real and honest about what she wanted-- him. She wanted to be with him, in every sense of the word.

Although the shower was helping, her head was still aching. Ugh, she had let Kagome talk her into _way_ too many shots last night and this was a conversation she wanted to have with a clear head. It was too important. She decided she would talk to him about everything tomorrow. 

Just the thought of doing so was giving her anxiety and making her feel shy, which was crazy because she was sure he cared about her in the same ways. She didn’t know the full extent of his feelings for her but it wasn’t like she had to worry about being rejected. But talking about her feelings, particularly with the object of those feelings, was difficult for her. Still, she wanted to take this seriously.

Several minutes later she was dried off and dressed in some leggings and a fitted pink long-sleeved t-shirt. She walked out to the living room to see Miroku on the couch on his laptop. He looked up at her entrance. After a few moments he placed the laptop to the side and stood up, walking over to where she was standing. She hadn’t even realized she had frozen in place at the sight of him until he was standing in front of her. 

“Uhm.” She said intelligently.

“So that was my uncle on the phone.” Miroku told her. He was looking at her way too closely and she swallowed nervously.

“Oh? What did he say?”

Miroku told her the conversation he had had with his Uncle Mushin and she was silent in thought.

“Yeah, we’ll have to go pay Lady Kaede a visit. Definitely not today, though.” Sango finally said, wincing again at another stabbing pain in her head. Ugh, she just wanted to lay down.

“I told him as much.” Miroku said, but he didn’t move from where he was standing. When she said nothing else he spoke again. “So, you kissed me.”

Her eyes flew to his face at those words. She knew she should say something but words escaped her. 

“You said it was a thank you, but something tells me you don’t thank all your friends by kissing them.” Miroku continued when she said nothing.

“Uhm. I don’t.” Sango managed to reply.

“Sango, why did you really kiss me?”

She couldn’t blame him for asking but this conversation wasn’t one she wanted to have at the moment. She was still nauseous and she needed to take some ibuprofen for her headache because it was _killing_ her. At the same time she didn’t want to lie about her feelings to him anymore, not after she had just resolved to be honest about them. 

“Miroku, I…I actually really want to talk to you about that. Well, about everything. I-- I remember everything about last night.” She admitted and he raised his eyebrows at her admission. “But my head is killing me and all I want to do is lie down right now. Unless there’s a demon to fight, I don’t want to move at all. And this isn’t a conversation I want to have with you when I feel so awful. It’s too important. At least, it is to me. There’s...there’s a lot of things I want to say to you but please, can it wait until tomorrow?”

She looked at him almost nervously after her little speech and he looked surprised but there was a small smile playing across his lips at her words. A very knowing smile.

“That’s fine. On one condition.”

“Wh-what’s the condition?”

In answer he pulled her to him and kissed her, wrapping one arm around her waist while burying a hand in her hair. His lips moved against hers, firm but not too demanding, as he held her against him. To say she was surprised would be an understatement but she softened in his arms. 

Her heart was racing and she could scarcely breathe as he kissed her senseless. Wrapping her arms around him in response, she held onto him as her knees went slightly weak and warmth bloomed in her chest at the slow and very thorough way his lips took hers. After several long moments he pulled away, capturing her bottom lip gently between his teeth before releasing it with one final kiss.

Her cheeks were flushed and she was panting a little as she continued to hold onto him. It took several breaths before she was positive her legs would support her again. He looked into her eyes and seemed satisfied with what he saw.

"Okay. Now we can wait until tomorrow."

“Oh.” She said, staring up at him.

“Oh?”

“It’s weird but it’s almost like I felt better when you were kissing me.” She said before she thought better of it. She blamed the way he had totally removed all the sense from her body with that kiss.

He chuckled a little bit at that, clearly trying to fight a grin. “If that’s the case, I’d be more than happy to be of assistance. I’m very okay with doing this all day.”

She blushed at that and pushed him away.

“Th-that’s not necessary!” She stammered. As tempting as that sounded she needed to rest and she wanted to have their talk before allowing anything further to happen between them. “Tomorrow!” She insisted.

“Alright, alright. Tomorrow.” He agreed. They released each other and he gave her a quick peck on the forehead. “Now go get some rest, my dear Sango.”

“Mm. That’s the plan.”

He went back to the couch and she got some ibuprofen from his medicine cabinet before returning to his bedroom and laying back down. Despite the way her head was pounding she felt oddly...happy and warmed from the inside out. They weren’t together-- not yet. But hopefully soon they could talk about whatever this was between them, once she slept off this awful hangover. Eventually the pills kicked in easing her headache and she managed to drift off to sleep again.

~☆~

Kagome finished her bath in the shrine’s cleansing pool and felt a million times better. She no longer felt the urge to vomit nor did her head threaten to kill her with the pounding headache pulsing at her temples anymore. The bath had been a good decision. It had helped to not only purify her physically but mentally as well. 

All the events of the previous night had come back to her and she had a lot of conflicting feelings regarding it. The things she had done, the things she had said...to say she was nervous and embarrassed about facing Inuyasha would be putting it mildly. Oh God, the things she had _done._ He had hinted she had come on to him but she had had no idea exactly how...forward she had been. While it was true she could play it off as something she had done only because she was drunk, well...Inuyasha had told her he could smell lies. He would know the truth in an instant.

The last thing she had expected last night was for Inuyasha to have shown up at the club to take her home, although in retrospect she supposed she should have. It was just the sort of the bullheaded move for him to pull. And the way she had danced on him, hanging onto him, the things she had said...she cringed. Well, it was fine. She would get past the awkwardness somehow. Afterall, they still had to work together and he still had to protect her.

She was embarrassed at not only the things she had said and done but at the very immature way she had handled this morning. Inuyasha’s apology, while a little more rough than most, had been sincere and was among the many memories to come back to her. Of course, she had been hurt but it was time to clear the air between her and the dog demon.

She wrapped her yukata around herself and then the towel over that since the chill in the air was more present as autumn was now in full force. Shivering a little bit as she walked across the grounds, Kagome then entered the main residence again and dressed in clothing more appropriate for the season. She pulled on her most comfortable pair of jeans and a nice cream-colored sweater, then considered drying her hair before going in search of Inuyasha. In the end she decided against it; she wanted to speak to him as soon as possible.

While she probably should decide what she was going to say before she went looking for him, there was a sense of urgency dictating her actions. The need to fix things and reestablish the way things had been before was too important. She didn’t like how strained things were with them right now. It would be nice if last night had changed things between them for the better but she harbored no illusions on that front. 

The idea of just continuing to act like she remembered nothing flitted through her mind briefly but she quickly discarded that thought. Now that all her memories were restored she was bound to let something slip, not to mention it would surely be obvious from the nervous way she would be acting and then he would ask about it. Might as well get everything out in the open so they could put this whole thing behind them.

Walking back outside she headed around back towards where the forest lay. She had no idea where he was but something told her he may have retreated to someplace more familiar to him after their fight this morning. 

“Inuyasha!!” She called out, hoping he would hear and come.

After a couple minutes he appeared in front of her, dropping down from one of the trees at the edge of the forest. She felt absurdly pleased that she had been correct in her assumptions. With all the time they had been spending together it seemed she was getting to know him quite well.

“What?” He asked, giving her a look that was a mix between hostile and cautious, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Uhm.” Kagome said. She really should have planned this out before seeking him out. “Inuyasha, I’m...I’m sorry.”

At those words his demeanor relaxed and he uncrossed his arms.

“I don’t have to apologize again, do I?”

“No, no...I’m really sorry for the way I handled this morning. But, I was really hurt by your words yesterday, and the way you just left me without even saying anything.”

“Listen, words aren’t exactly my strong suit. Sometimes I say stuff without thinking, but let’s be clear about one thing-- protecting you may be my assigned duty but as crazy as it sounds I actually like being around you. I’m staying with you, got that? Not Sango.” 

Kagome blushed at his words and she tried not to let her mind run away with all the possible meanings they conjured up. _Could he possibly…?_

She tried clearing her throat that suddenly swelled with anxiety caused by the butterflies fluttering in her stomach. If she was honest with herself, she had never grown so attached to a boy like this before. She hadn’t had the time or freedom. Her sworn duty was to her shrine. As embarrassing as it was, that was the main reason she was twenty three and still a virgin. Also the main reason she tried to live so vicariously through Sango (not that her love life was any better than Kagome's). She loved her best friend and thought that she could ultimately plan a happy ever after for her, even if Kagome herself may never get one. 

The words she wanted to say wouldn’t come though. How does someone clear the air about saying such heartfelt things the night before? Especially when it was likely he didn’t feel the same. He had admitted yes, he liked to be around her. Not that he liked her. He didn’t have many friends; that much was obvious. She needed to try and keep that perspective; he was a half demon. He wouldn’t want anything more from her than friendship. That was hard to swallow but…

“So, about last night,” she finally started. Was she sweating? Trembling? “About uhm… what I said. I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable in any way. I know I drank way too much and wasn’t in my right mind. We can just forget it. I--I didn’t want Sango to take over your duty. I really appreciate you staying and wanting to be with me.”

There was a glint of hurt that showed through his amber eyes but he then covered it quickly with his trademark scowl. Why would he be hurt by what she said? Had she phrased it incorrectly?

Inuyasha did his best to not let the disappointment at her response show through. What had he expected? He was a half demon and she was a priestess. Obviously everything she had done and said last night had just been because of the alcohol, not because that’s how she really felt. Even though he already knew that, some part of him had been hoping otherwise. Well, whatever.

“If that’s what you want.” He finally replied gruffly.

She looked confused at that. Why? She had been very fucking clear that anything that had happened between them was to be forgotten and didn’t mean anything. While she had said it in a very polite and nice way the meaning was still the same.

"Did I say something wrong?" She asked uncertainly.

"No, you said it just fine. Don't worry, I understood you perfectly."

“Then why--” Kagome started to say, but she abruptly cut off at the sudden overwhelming aura that slammed into her senses. She looked around then back at Inuyasha in alarm to make sure he felt it too. One look told her that he definitely had.

“What the fuck is that?”

“I-- I don’t know. It’s definitely demonic, but it’s…Inuyasha, I think whatever this is, it may be worse than that spider demon we faced. And I can sense another rune. Maybe multiple.”

“Seriously? As in more than one?” He sniffed the air as if trying to answer his own question.

“Yeah, it’s way too strong to be just one. Although it feels slightly off. Whatever dark magic Tsubaki is working it’s huge. If it _is_ Tsubaki.” Kagome responded, already trying to zero in on the location this was all coming from. She didn’t know if she was annoyed or relieved at the interruption to her and Inuyasha’s conversation. It wasn’t going quite the way she had hoped so maybe it was for the best.

“What do you mean 'if it is Tsubaki?'”

“It feels the same but slightly off. It doesn’t quite match up to her magical signature, but the sense of the runes and dark spells they feed into are definitely the same.”

"Well whoever it is we need to hunt them down. This means bad news."

“I’m not looking forward to what we’re going to find. We also need to call Miroku and Sango, although I’d be surprised if they haven’t sensed it themselves. The feeling is so strong.”

“Yeah this aint good. We need to get movin’ as soon as we can.”

“Right. Just let me give them a call so we can meet up.”

With that Kagome called up Sango and when she didn’t answer she called Miroku. He told her he would be there with Sango soon.

~☆~

After getting off the phone with Kagome, Miroku reluctantly went to go wake Sango up. She had been asleep for the past four hours and he hoped that was enough because it was going to have to be.

The last thing he had expected earlier was for her to be so completely honest with him about her feelings. When she had told him she had a lot of things she wanted to tell him, and more importantly, that she actually _did_ remember everything about last night, he had been shocked. And delighted. Then he had kissed her and she had not only let him, but welcomed it. He suspected he knew what she wanted to tell him tomorrow and he figured he could wait one more day. Assuming he was correct about her feelings, and after that kiss he was pretty sure he was.

He opened the door to his bedroom and paused in the doorway for a moment to take in her sleeping form. She was simultaneously the cutest and sexiest woman he had ever met. It was a shame he had to disturb her slumber but duty was calling. Walking over to where she slept he gently shook her shoulder, saying her name softly. Sango came awake and saw him then sighed.

“I thought I said I just wanted to lay down unless there was a demon to fight. Why are you waking me up?” She asked grumpily.

“Unfortunately, it appears that there is, in fact, a demon to fight. I’m sure you can sense it, too. I’m sorry.”

At those words Sango became more alert and focused her senses, and she could feel it too. She sat up and threw back the covers.

“What is that huge aura? It’s demonic but something is off. And it’s so overwhelming.”

“I know. I’m not sure, myself.”

Sango stood up and went to grab her bag that had her slayer outfit. When she turned around she saw Miroku was still standing there.

“Uhm. I need to change into my slayer gear.”

“Yeah, you better do that.”

“Then leave so I can get dressed!”

“And to think last night you were so eager to strip in front of me.”

Sango blushed at that and looked like she wanted to cause him physical harm. Miroku just smirked. 

“I was drunk! Get out!”

“Alright, alright, I’m going.” He said, laughing.

Sango glared after him halfheartedly. He was pushing his luck, probably because he knew he could get away with it now after what she had revealed regarding her feelings for him. And how she had let him kiss her. He was shameless. And like an idiot she had fallen for him. She sighed.

Although Sango would have liked to have slept a few more hours she was definitely feeling much better than before. Her head wasn’t aching nearly as much anymore and her nausea had almost completely disappeared. These weren’t ideal conditions to be fighting in but she had done this to herself so it was what it was. She would manage somehow, plus the adrenaline from battle would help to clear her head.

Once she was dressed she exited his bedroom and found him waiting by the front door, already ready. She walked over to where her Hiraikotsu was resting against the wall, hoisted it across her back, double checked her blades, then walked to the door where he stood.

“Okay. Let’s go.”

~☆~

A little over an hour later all four of them had traced the feeling of the demonic aura and runes. It had led them to the outskirts of the city, at an abandoned shrine. It wasn’t exactly a ruin but it had certainly seen better days, judging by the outside appearance of the structure.

It was in a dilapidated state of repair and the shadows from the setting sun that were cast upon the building only helped to add to the ominous effect the place gave off. The black and white paint was chipped in so many spots that they almost resembled a mosaic. It looked sinister, although that may have been partly due to the immense evil they all felt emanating from within. Whatever lay inside was something terrible.

None of them said anything as they approached the entrance. All of them knew what they faced tonight would likely push them all to their limits. They were all prepared for that. Entering, everything appeared dark until one by one candles began lighting along the ceiling until they reached the back where a woman was standing in front of an altar. 

She basked in the illumination, her back to them as if unconcerned by their presence. Spaced across the back wall where she stood were several of the runes, each one drawn in blood. The source of the blood became evident if one looked to the floor where a body lay beneath each mark. At first glance they appeared dead, but closer inspection showed they still drew breath, if only barely.

“I wondered if you all would come.” The woman said almost conversationally. She turned around and her dark eyes flashed in the candlelight while her long, wavy blonde hair shone brightly. 

“Who the fuck are you?” Inuyasha demanded.

Miroku thought the more important question was to wonder where the huge demonic aura was coming from. As far as they could all see the room was empty save for them, the strangely docile captives beneath the runes, and the mysterious woman.

As the woman stepped forward Miroku got a glimpse of a large mirror placed upon the altar. It seemed to pulse as he looked at it. That couldn’t be good.

“That’s a little bit rude, don’t you think? Still, I was raised with manners. My name is Ayaka. I am Tsubaki’s apprentice.” She said. “There’s no need for you to make introductions.”

“And why is that?” Sango asked, her eyes seemingly on Ayaka but also canvassing their surroundings. Why did this almost feel like a set up? This woman was far too calm considering there was one of her and four of them. The answer became apparent soon enough.

“Because you’ll all be dead or comatose soon, fighting versions of yourself.”

The light of the candles flared at her pronouncement and the rest of the room was lit up, revealing four large floor-length mirrors. There were two mirrors on the left wall and two on the right wall. Almost reflexively they all turned to gaze upon the mirrors and Ayaka chanted a spell, throwing something into a bowl upon the altar. It activated her dark spell and all four of them were drawn into a separate looking glass, swallowed up in their own personal hell.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to lavendertwilight89 for being a beta, and hnnwnchstr for being my hype woman <3
> 
> I love comments!!

The room shifted around her and suddenly Sango found herself being pulled through a substance that felt viscous and sticky in the space between one breath and the next. A glance around revealed only that she was alone. Everything was gray and distorted. Was it possible she was inside one of those mirrors? Had all of them been drawn into one? There _had_ been four looking glasses, one for each of them. Her premonition of feeling like this was a trap was solidified into an understanding that this is exactly what it had been.

A movement caught her eye and turning she gasped in shock. A woman stood in front of her. Only it wasn’t just any woman, it was her. Her reflection. The literal mirror image of her smirked and drew her wakizashi, beginning to advance on her. Swiftly, her reflection attacked and Sango swung her Hiraikotsu in front of her, shielding herself from the blow. At the same time she drew her own wakizashi and slashed out. The reflection laughed and avoided the blade just as easily as Sango would have. 

“I don’t know why you’re bothering to put up a fight. You know you’re so weak.” Her reflection taunted.

“If you’re supposed to be me, you would know that I am far from weak!” Sango shot back, throwing her Hiraikotsu at the impostor. The reflection responded exactly as she would have and ducked and rolled forward, avoiding the boomerang and striking out at Sango’s feet with her sword. Sango side-stepped and swung down with her own weapon and the blades connected in a clang of metal as her reflection gained her feet again.

“I think you know the real truth of that statement.”

They exchanged blows back and forth and Sango panted with the effort. She was a formidable opponent and had never had to fight herself before. She was also at a disadvantage. The effects of her hangover were still lingering and all her moves were no secret to this reflection. Everything she thought of, every move she made, her reflection knew it. If this really was supposed to be some twisted version of herself then it made sense and it also meant she was in real trouble. How did one defeat your own self?

If anything her reflection was far more vicious, holding nothing back. She was ruthless, and had no reserves about injuring Sango. Every strike she landed burned like fire across Sango’s skin and she knew she was bleeding freely from several places. If any of this was even real. Or maybe it was all in her head. She had no idea.

Every wound that opened up on Sango appeared on her reflection’s body. If she received an injury to her left side the same bled from her reflection’s right side, as if she was an actual mirror image of Sango. But that didn’t seem to slow her down in the slightest. Her reflection laughed, seemingly unbothered by all of it.

“Look at you. Look how weak you are! A few cuts and you’re out of breath and bleeding all over the place. You should just die. You clearly don’t have what it takes to do what is necessary. How you managed to survive this long is a mystery.”

Rather than reply, Sango tried to focus on defending herself. Her footing slipped and her reflection pressed her advantage, bearing down on Sango and knocking her to the ground. Or what appeared to be the ground in the weird dreamlike space she seemed to be in.

“You’re pathetic. Is this the best you can actually do? Is that because you’re still nursing that hangover from drinking yourself into a stupor to try to forget your feelings for that monk?” Her reflection laughed bitterly. “You know he’ll never actually love you. He’s just bored, and you’re shiny and new. Except he hasn’t seen all your scars yet, has he? You think he’ll still want you after seeing that monstrosity on your back?”

“Shut up!!”

“You know some part of you has been secretly hoping he’ll understand since he’s part of the supernatural world but let’s be real. He’s a man. He wants someone whole, not damaged like you. Weak like you. Pathetic like you.”

The words her reflection were saying were striking their own wounds in her heart. Deep-seated insecurities and her reflection knew every single one.

Her reflection sneered down at her and Sango hastily brought her arm up, triggering the hidden wrist blade to deflect the strike at her neck. Straddling her, her reflection pressed her wakizashi harder against her, and Sango strained against it, her arm aching from the effort of keeping her enemy’s blade at bay. How ironic that her enemy was herself. How was she going to get herself out of this mess? How could she refute the words of her reflection when they were thoughts that echoed inside her own mind??

~☆~

The world seemed to turn inside out before righting itself around Miroku. He tried to get his bearings and came to the conclusion that Ayaka had worked some dark magic that had pulled each of them into one of the mirrors. There was a large expanse of gray nothingness around him and he waited for the other shoe to drop. There had to be something more to this than trapping them in mirrors. The amount of black magic she had been working was far too great for something as simple as that.

The clinking sound of rings chiming on a shakujo was his only warning before Miroku turned around, thrusting his own out to deflect the blow from...himself? The man standing before him was a mirror image of him, and more of Ayaka’s words ran through his head.

_“Because you’ll all be dead or comatose soon, fighting versions of yourself.”_

“I take it you’re supposed to be me?” Miroku questioned as he readied himself into a battle stance.

“Brilliant deduction.” His reflection returned sarcastically, and he attacked again. Miroku defended against the onslaught but it was surprisingly difficult. Each strike was easily blocked and his reflection returned the blows with a savagery that drove Miroku backwards. For every trick and move he knew so did his reflection, which made sense if this was indeed a version of himself. 

Experimentally, Miroku lashed out with a tendril of his power and wound it around his reflection’s wrist, stopping him mid-thrust in his assault. It left a red welt on his left wrist and rather than flinching his reflection just looked at him and laughed mockingly. It was a little disturbing seeing his own face twisted in such a mocking smirk. Miroku soon found out why a moment later when an identical wound appeared on his own right wrist and he hissed at the burn, nearly dropping his shakujo in equal parts surprise and pain.

“Go ahead, hurt me all you like. I can take it. The question is, can you?” His reflection taunted before striking out with his own power. Miroku raised a barrier quickly, just barely shielding himself from the burning touch of reiki.

“If you’re really supposed to be me, I think you know exactly how much I can take.” Miroku responded.

“You always act so glib and unconcerned, as if you have nothing to hide, no secrets, no insecurities. But we both know that’s a lie, isn’t it?” His reflection retorted.

The sound of wood striking wood echoed in the strangely vacant space as his reflection resumed his charge and Miroku struggled to keep up with him. Although he didn’t want to think too hard about his words, Miroku couldn’t help but silently admit to himself the truth of them. 

“What is your point?” 

“We know deep down the guilt you harbor for the death of your father. Why are you fighting this, fighting yourself? Just give in. It’s easier. It’s what you deserve. After all, it’s your fault your father is dead.”

“I was a child!”

“That doesn’t make you any less culpable. That’s no excuse, and you know it. That’s why you keep the truth buried deep down. How do you think that slayer you’ve been trying so hard to win over will react when she finds out?”

“We all have our own crosses to bear. Sango would understand. It was years ago!”

“You tell yourself that, but do you actually believe it? That’s part of why you flit from girl to girl so quickly and can never settle down. You think Sango actually wants you? You probably just wore her down.”

“For someone who’s supposed to be me, you don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh, really? You don’t think that drunken ‘I love you’ was just the alcohol talking? You don’t actually know what she wants to talk about tomorrow, do you? You only just assumed. She only let you kiss her because she feels like she owes you for taking care of her.” His reflection sneered as they fought.

“That’s enough!” Miroku snapped, starting to lose his composure. He didn’t realize he could find himself so irritating. Not to mention all his accusations were hitting a little too close to home. Somehow this version of him seemed to know every secret fear of his and was using them as a weapon of their own. 

If every injury on one of them showed up on the other, how was he to defeat himself? There had to be a way out of this but Miroku had no idea what it was. Before he could try to continue pondering a way to escape this situation his double was on him again, their staffs cracking against each other in a twisted duel against himself.

~☆~

Kagome was disoriented after being sucked into...whatever this was. She suspected it may have something to do with the rather large mirrors that had been placed along the walls. Ayaka had said something about them fighting versions of themselves and she had a single moment to wonder what exactly that had meant before she sensed a presence behind her. Turning, she stiffened in shock. It was as if she was looking into a mirror, and her dark reflection had an arrow notched on her bow and arrow.

Almost reflexively, Kagome raised her hands in front of her and summoned a barrier just as the arrow flew towards her. It struck her barrier and fizzled out of existence and the mirror image of her glared at her, readying another arrow.

“What is happening??” She demanded.

“You always were slow on the uptake, weren’t you?” Her reflection sneered. “I’m you, or haven’t you figured that out already?”

“So I’m actually supposed to fight myself? If you’re me why do you want to hurt me?”

Her reflection laughed and rolled her eyes, lowering her weapon as she regarded Kagome.

“Because you’re insufferable. Do you understand what a burden you actually are? You’re useless!!!”

“I am _not_ useless!!” Kagome said hotly, preparing her own weapon, notching an arrow. “I’m a Head Priestess and perfectly capable of taking care of myself.”

“Right. That’s why you have a half demon acting as your babysitter.”

“It’s not like that! We’re working together.”

“You and I both know that’s not how he sees it. You even heard it from his own lips.”

“He told me he didn’t mean any of it! I believe him.”

“Do you, though? He was probably just tired of you sulking like a child.”

“Just shut up!!” Kagome drew back the string of her bow, taking aim.

“Go ahead. Shoot me. You’ll only be hurting yourself.” Her reflection taunted.

Kagome wasn’t sure what that was supposed to mean and to be safe she aimed for her doppelganger’s left arm. The arrow struck and red bloomed from where the arrowhead was buried in the flesh. She merely grabbed the shaft and pulled it out, dropping it to the ground and Kagome suddenly cried out in pain. She looked down and saw blood spreading from a similar wound that had appeared on her right arm. Oh God, it hurt, as if she had actually been pierced with an arrow.

“See what I mean? Slow on the uptake. And unlike you, something like this doesn’t bother me. God, you have no tolerance, do you? How are you supposed to fight when you can’t even take a little pain?” Her reflection disparaged before raising her hand and shooting a blast of spiritual power Kagome’s way.

Quickly jumping to the side, Kagome dodged it before lashing out with a blast of her own. No matter what this perverse version of herself said, if she had to suffer a little pain that’s what she would do. However, she wasn’t sure how she was supposed to defeat herself if any injury to her reflection was also an injury to her. 

Her reflection deflected her attack and diverted it back to her. Kagome cried out as it struck her in the shoulder, unprepared for such a move. But it was exactly what she herself would have done and she cursed herself for not seeing it coming. Her other self smirked, giving the wound that had appeared on her own shoulder a brief glance and shrugging. 

“And this is why you’re useless. You haven’t figured it out yet, have you? How to end this? So I’ll tell you the easy way out. Give in. Just let go, and this all stops.”

“As if I would do that!” Kagome yelled. 

“Why not? No one will ever love you, especially not Inuyasha. You know you’re only a duty to him, nothing more. Once this is all over he'll go back into his forest, relieved the burden he had to bear is done.” 

It was as if her reflection had driven an arrow into her heart with all her words. She wanted to tell this horrible version of herself exactly how wrong she was, ask how she could say such things if they were the same person, but her mouth wouldn’t work. All the denials in the world couldn’t erase the way they seemed to strike at the darkness inside her heart. All the secret insecurities she harbored were being exposed one by one.

~☆~

When that dark priestess cast her spell, Inuyasha knew it was bad. Just the overpowering and foul stench of the black magic was enough to tell him how wrong it all was. Well that, and all the human sacrifices beneath the runes etched onto the back wall-- sacrifices that would soon be dead. Their lifeforce would no doubt help to fuel whatever spell Ayaka was casting. This bitch wasn’t playing around.

The spell wrapped around him, pulling him into-- another dimension? The mirror? He didn’t know, all he knew was that he was alone in this strange gray space devoid of anything. Only he wasn’t actually alone. A movement stirred and a figure coalesced in front of him. It was himself. From the appearance to the scent it was his exact double and Inuyasha didn’t know how that was possible but figured it definitely had to be that damn spell. Ayaka had said something about them fighting themselves.

Drawing his sword he prepared to fight this mirror image of himself. His reflection grinned, showing fang.

“What’s a half breed like you gonna do?”

“Kick your ass, obviously.”

“Go ahead and try it, then.” 

Needing no further encouragement Inuyasha leapt at his reflection, swinging his sword. His reflection drew his own sword, blocking his strike. Then he reached out with his hand, slashing with his claws at Inuyasha. The half demon leaned backwards to avoid it then pressed forward again. They fought each other with an intense fury, twin pairs of golden eyes flashing. 

Inuyasha was growling in frustration as they traded blows, neither gaining the upper hand. Then his reflection scored a hit on his left side. It bled, but it was hardly the worst injury Inuyasha had ever received. No, the part that gave him pause was seeing the same wound open on his reflection’s right side. His reflection smirked and the sight of his own face pissed him off. What kind of twisted magic was this?

“What the fuck?!” He snarled.

“What’s the matter?” His reflection taunted while swinging at him again. “Like I said before, what's a half breed like you gonna do? Kill yourself by killing me? You might as well. Just end your miserable existence.”

“I don’t know what game Ayaka is tryin’ to play here, but I’m gonna figure it out and break out of this. If you’re supposed to be me you know I aint got no problem kicking whoever’s ass I have to to make that happen.” Inuyasha snapped, defending against the attack.

“You always talk a big game but we both know you’re all bark and no bite.”

“You wanna test that theory?”

His reflection laughed and threw aside his sword. At the same time, the more demonic nature of his mirror image started to emerge, jagged purple stripes appearing on his cheeks, eyes turning red with cerulean irises. When his reflection spoke again it was a guttural rasp.

**“Yeah, actually.”**

His demonic reflection stepped forward in a rush, grabbing Inuyasha’s sword in his hand and while he held it hostage, stabbed a hand through his middle. Inuyasha grunted in equal parts pain and surprise and his reflection laughed evilly. As he gasped in pain and tried to regain his bearings, he felt his own demonic half start to come out. He tried to fight against it but this whole situation had him twisted up and not knowing what was real or not. The same wound had opened up on his reflection but that didn’t seem to make any difference to him.

 **“Why do you fight it? Give in.”** His doppelganger urged. **“If you’re caught so easily by something like this you don’t deserve to protect that girl anyways. We both know how bad you want her, how bad you want her to accept you.** **_All_ ** **of you.”** He laughed mockingly. **“As if anyone would ever love a dirty half breed like you, least of all a priestess. But you already knew that, didn’t you?”**

“Shut the fuck up.” Inuyasha ground out with blood in his mouth, finally pulling back and swinging again with his sword. His senses heightened as his demonic half continued to rise and for a second he considered surrendering to it.

 **“You’re not even qualified to protect her. Where is she right now? You don’t even know, do you? Pathetic half breed.”** His reflection spat, blocking his strike.

“I thought I told you to shut the fuck up!!”

**“You’re going to die alone, so you might as well die now. She’ll never want you; she'll never love you.”**

“I already know that! What the fuck is your point?!”

**“Some part of you is still secretly hoping she meant everything she confessed last night. Because you recognize her as yours. Your mate. How pathetic do you have to be when your own mate doesn’t want you?”**

Inuyasha didn’t like having all his dirty laundry aired out in the open like this. There were some truths that just didn’t need to be spoken aloud. It was getting harder to fight back against the rise of his inner demon, especially at the mention of Kagome. How the fuck was he gonna get himself out of this?

~☆~

Sango was growing desperate as she and her reflection continued to fight. She still had no idea how she was supposed to break free of this spell. Her strength was starting to waver but she refused to give in. Maybe it was the blood loss, or maybe it was the verbal assault she was facing that cut their own wounds into her soul.

“Even if he could accept your scars, do you honestly believe that monk wants a woman who could kick his ass?” Her reflection laughed shortly as she spun, arcing her blade towards Sango, who barely deflected the blow. “You’re far too intimidating. Not nearly womanly enough. A man wants someone who he can take care of. Of course, he’s had to save you so many times already, so maybe that doesn’t even matter. How pitiful! How can you call yourself a slayer when you have to rely on someone else for protection? Just die!”

Her reflection landed another hit across her thigh and she gritted her teeth against the cry of pain that threatened to escape. If they were truly mirror images and the wounds inflicted appeared on opposite sides, then… An idea was forming in Sango’s mind, and she only hoped it wouldn’t also kill her in the process. But she was out of options, and feeling more than a little reckless.

“It doesn’t matter what you say!” She yelled back. “Even if these are all things I’ve secretly thought or feared, it doesn’t make them true! And I’m tired of listening to you!”

Dodging another strike from her evil twin, Sango spun, hooking her foot around her double’s ankle and causing her to fall to the ground. She then took her own blade and drove it into the right side of her chest. The metal of her wakizashi sliced clean through to her back where it protruded and Sango gave a short scream at the pain. Blood began to leak from the wound and she gasped, still gripping the hilt, and falling to her knees.

Another scream sounded, echoing around them and coming from her reflection who stared up at her in shock. A red stain was spreading over her reflection’s heart and she began to cough up blood.

“Y-you…” She choked out before the world around Sango began to fracture. She watched this version of herself die and felt...relief. Withdrawing her blade from herself she gave another grunt that turned into a whimper. Everything seemed to shatter and as she blinked Sango found herself back in the abandoned shrine. She raised her head and met the startled eyes of Ayaka.

As she had suspected, all the injuries she had sustained were merely imaginary, with the exception of the gaping wound leaking blood in her chest. The wound that had freed her.

“Surprise, bitch. I’m back.” She glared as she struggled to her feet, holding out her sword and preparing for another fight. 

~☆~

Miroku still had no idea how to end this. It was clearly some kind of dark spell and therefore there had to be a way to break it. Between fighting his reflection and listening to every dark part of his heart being spoken into existence he was getting worn down.

“Why are you still fighting? Just let go.” His reflection taunted and Miroku blocked another strike with his own shakujo.

“I don’t give up so easily.” He returned, swinging his staff out again at his double. There was still something he had not yet tried, and at this point he was willing to try anything. It was risky, but he honestly couldn’t think of anything else and it was better than being stuck indefinitely in this limbo.

As his evil half attacked him again he dropped his own weapon and grabbed the shaft of the double’s shakujo, stabbing himself in the right side of his chest with the point of it. He hoped his logic was correct. Assuming this was indeed a mirror image of himself and the wounds inflicted appeared on the opposite sides… he prayed to Buddha he was right.

He grunted at the pain as the metal tip of the shakujo cut deep into his flesh. He looked from his wound to his reflection and saw the stunned expression on his face that was quickly morphing into one of agony.

“I’m tired of listening to your words.” Miroku grunted out as his reflection cried out at the injury that was a literal mirror image of Miroku’s own. Blood dribbled from his mouth at the strike to his heart and he glared balefully at the monk. “Whatever dark fears and insecurities of mine you hoped to expose...well, who cares? I already know them; I don’t need you to tell me. And I also know that’s all they are.”

Miroku pulled the tip of the staff out, giving a short groan himself at the pain. His reflection dropped to his knees, clutching at his wound and gasping for the breaths that were coming fewer and fewer. 

“I-I can’t believe y-you...actually…” He trailed off as the life faded from his eyes, and the world seemed to twist and fracture around Miroku. His reflection breathed his last and as Miroku retrieved his shakujo from the ground he found himself back inside the abandoned shrine. There was shattered glass all around him. 

A quick look around revealed Sango was also there. She was standing on her feet unsteadily, bleeding freely from her own wound to the right side of her chest. It was far worse than the one he had sustained. Her face was pale and he became worried, wondering how much blood she had lost. Noticing his sudden presence, she spared a quick relieved glance his way before turning her attention back to Ayaka.

“How are you all breaking free?!” The dark priestess demanded.

“It appears you’ve underestimated us.” Miroku responded, pushing away the pain at his own wound and taking a step forward.

~☆~

Kagome didn’t know what to do. She dodged and defended as best she could against the physical assault of her evil doppelganger but she hadn’t tried to attack her again. What was the point if the same injury was going to show up on Kagome herself? Was she willing to kill herself to break free of this mirror prison?

And that’s exactly what this was. A prison. She was wandering across the edge of sanity, trying to fight herself. It was like a nightmare yet it felt so real, every wound inflicted burning like fire across her skin. Her reflection continued to laugh at her, throwing out more taunts.

“What’s the matter, little priestess? Out of ideas? Like that’s a surprise.” Her reflection fired another arrow that Kagome dodged again. She was panting, and this sustained attack on her body and mind was exhausting her. Something...there had to be _something_ she could do. 

The only thing she did know was that for any wound she received so did her double, only on the opposite side of her body. Like an actual mirror. Like an actual reflection. That thought stopped her for a second. There _was_ one thing. There was the possibility it may kill her but she was growing desperate.

Waiting for her reflection to attack again, Kagome tensed on the balls of her feet. The arrow flew towards her and this time Kagome twisted to the side but still let it strike home. The shaft buried itself deep into the right side of her chest and she couldn’t stop the small scream of pain. God, she had never felt any kind of pain like this before. It was awful and she almost went to her knees from the way it overwhelmed her senses.

Another scream resounded and Kagome turned to see her reflection clutching at the area around her heart, blood seeping through the spaces between her fingers while more blood dripped from the corners of her mouth. The sight was more than a little unnerving considering she wore the same face, and there was a look of hate and disbelief on it as she fell to the ground.

“You’re not me. Not really. And I’m tired of fighting you and listening to you voice all my insecurities.” Kagome managed to grit out around the pain.

“S-so…you actually f-figured it out…” Her reflection managed to gasp out while the life literally bled from her chest. Kagome felt a small sense of triumph and satisfaction, and firmly grasped the arrow embedded deep inside her, breaking off the shaft. She would have completely removed it but something told her that was a bad idea.

Everything turned bright and reality itself seemed to crack around her as her reflection gasped her last breath. Then everything broke into pieces and suddenly she was back inside the abandoned shrine, still gripping her wound and looking about wildly. She caught sight of Sango and Miroku and felt a brief flash of relief that they, too, had managed to free themselves. Ayaka looked livid and shocked.

She saw no sign of Inuyasha, though. Glancing about she noticed that three of the mirrors were shattered into a thousand fragments while one still stood whole. Without a word, Kagome notched an arrow onto her bow and took aim at that last mirror, wincing at the way the motion pulled at her wound. Letting it fly, her arrow slammed into the surface of the mirror and with a small blast of pink light, broke it apart and purified whatever dark spell had been cast upon it.

Ayaka screamed in rage and Inuyasha shimmered back into their plane of reality. He looked...different. But before she could fully grasp what that difference was, he was at her side in a few strides, pulling her to his chest in a fierce embrace. She froze in surprise and when he pulled away from her, he seemed the same as he always was. Then he noticed her wound. It seemed every injury she had received in the mirror world had been all in her head with the exception of the one that had freed her from its prison. 

“I’m so sorry. I couldn’t protect you, and you got hurt.” He apologized, still holding onto her shoulders and his expression was anguished.

Before Kagome could respond, they heard an exhale of annoyance. “What a touching reunion.” Ayaka said sarcastically. “Guess I’ll have to do this the hard way.”

As she spoke she turned to one of the human sacrifices and with a flick of her wrist a shard of her power shot out and struck one of them, the figure of a young woman. She twitched violently before stilling, the life completely fading from her body. The rune she lay beneath flared and the mirror on the altar Ayaka stood in front of gave an answering pulse of its own. That was their only warning before demons began to pour from the mirror, breaking through the surface.

As if by some unspoken communication Inuyasha and Miroku surged forward to meet the rush of the demons, engaging in battle again. They were all lesser demons but there were so many of them that the tide was constant and it wouldn’t be an easy task. It was only made more difficult when Ayaka killed another of the sacrifices, causing the mirror to pulse again and release another stream of demons. Miroku and Inuyasha found themselves fighting back to back as they tried to keep the horde at bay, slicing and purifying in equal measure.

"Inuyasha, I won't ask what that mirror showed you, but do you have your inner demon under control? I saw your face when you first exited the mirror." Miroku commented as he burned another demon into ash with his shakujo before twirling the staff and driving another one backwards.

"I'm fine! Mind your own damn business!" Inuyasha snapped while he alternately hacked the demons to pieces with his sword and lashed out with his claws.

"It kind of is my business as your friend." Miroku shot back. "If you go full demon with all of us in here, who knows what will happen? You don't exactly have it under the best control."

"I said I'm fucking fine!! Rather than worrying about me you should worry about yourself! I can smell your blood, you idiot!" Inuyasha returned and Miroku let the subject drop, opting to focus on the fight.

As they argued and fought the outpouring of demons, Sango and Kagome advanced on Ayaka. Kagome notched another arrow onto the string of her bow and let it fly. It shot towards the mirror on the altar like pink lightning and shattered the surface, breaking the spell and stopping the inundation of demons. Ayaka threw the bowl sitting atop the altar at the two women in a fury and Sango merely batted it aside with her sword. That whole display did not go unnoticed by Inuyasha, who almost tried to break away and go after Kagome.

"Inuyasha! Let them handle her! We have our hands full with these demons!" Miroku called out.

"Kagome is already injured and I can smell Sango's blood too! In case you've forgotten, I'm supposed to protect that damn girl!"

"Without her demons and mirrors, Ayaka's strength has been halved. There's only one of her and two of them. Have some faith."

Miroku didn't say it but he was also worried. Sango was acting like she was fine but her pale face told him otherwise; her blood loss had to be considerable. And Kagome seemed to be in the same physical state as well. Still, they had proven to be very capable women and he knew they had what it took to take Ayaka down.

Sango and Kagome had cornered Ayaka, where she stood with her back to her altar. She glared at them with hate, and reached into her robes to withdraw a ceremonial dagger while whispering an incantation under her breath. She slid the blade across the palm of her hand and blood welled up. It dripped down onto the ground before her and activated some kind of barrier, a thin sheen of red dividing them from her. Then it slowly seemed to settle over her skin, acting as a sort of armor.

Kagome fired another arrow at her and Ayaka flicked her wrist in its direction, sending out a dark tendril of power that incinerated it. While she was distracted with that, Sango leapt forward with her wakizashi and Ayaka met her charge with her athame. Sparks flew as the two blades met.

Sango wasn’t sure if it was because of the blood loss or if it was because of Ayaka’s strange blood barrier but somehow Ayaka managed to drive her back a step. Ayaka smirked, bringing her blade up, and Sango whirled, using the momentum of the move to drive her wakizashi into Ayaka’s side. Just as the sword was about to slice into her flesh a red spark flared at the spot of impact and her blade stopped just short of injury. 

“Nice try, slayer bitch.” Ayaka mocked even as she deflected another arrow from Kagome.

“She must have cast some kind of dark protection spell on herself!” Kagome called out, stringing another arrow onto her bow and trying to wait for an opportunity to present itself.

“I figured as much.” Sango replied, her attention on defending against another strike from the dark priestess.

They needed Ayaka’s concentration to break long enough to pierce through that dark shield of hers. Sango was going to have to create a distraction that would allow Kagome's arrow to land a hit and purify the spell. A regular straightforward attack was not going to work, as she and Kagome were finding out. An idea came to her and it wasn’t pleasant but it would work. Miroku and Inuyasha were busy keeping all the demons off of them so it was up to her and Kagome.

“Kagome, get ready to fire!”

Kagome had no idea what Sango was planning but trusted her best friend. She raised the arrow on her bow, drawing the string back and waiting.

“What do you think you can do?” Ayaka sneered as she drove her athame down towards Sango. Instead of evading the blow Sango let the dagger sink in all the way to the hilt in her thigh, grunting at the pain. She needed both arms for this and already had a bad gash in her chest. At least with an injury to her leg she could still limp and kick out with her other leg if necessary.

Quickly dropping her own blade she reached forward with her hands and grasped Ayaka’s wrist, holding her in place. The dark priestess looked at her in shock, trying to free herself from the slayer’s grip, and Sango drove her back against the edge of the altar table.

Kagome swallowed her own gasp of shock and let the arrow fly. It hit Ayaka in her side, purifying whatever dark magic she had been working over herself and burying itself deep between her ribs. As Ayaka screamed, Sango took one of her hands and reached behind the dark priestess and grabbed one of the broken mirror shards on the altar. She stabbed it into Ayaka’s throat, severing her carotid just as the dark priestess sent out one final shockwave of power. It billowed out across the room and swept Kagome up in it, throwing her against the wall. Her head hit the wall with a crack and she fell to the floor in a heap, motionless.

  
  


Inuyasha saw the whole thing happen and froze. _Kagome._ She was bleeding. She wasn’t moving. Why wasn’t she moving? Everything became too much and suddenly his inner demon was beginning to rise again and with it already so close to the surface from his fight in the mirror he couldn’t hold it back. Not at the sight of his mate lying on the floor, bleeding and still as stone. Never mind that she clearly wanted nothing more from him than what they already had. She was hurt. She was in danger. She was his only purpose in life.

Giving in to it, he let it take control. He couldn’t fight it even if he wanted to. He felt his claws grow, his aura expanded, his fangs extend and nick his bottom lip, and his senses increase. He focused briefly to hear if his mate was breathing, as she was his first priority. He heard a very shallow short breath. She was alive. She had to stay that way. 

Growling, he dropped his sword and tore into the demons around him and Miroku with a savagery his half demon self did not possess. Miroku noticed the difference and then, doing a double take at his visage, slowly backed away from him and towards the wall where Sango had hobbled over to Kagome’s side. 

The slayer was panting and trembling from blood loss and exhaustion. She looked like she might be going into shock. He couldn’t believe she had let herself be stabbed in the leg, especially not after the already grim wound to her chest. Was she trying to kill herself?? He didn’t know if he wanted to yell at her for her recklessness or hold her to him. He would figure that out just as soon as he got her and Kagome the hell out of there. 

Inuyasha’s demon half was in full control and that was to say there was no control left in him at all. He had told Miroku about it once, and that if he ever saw it emerge to _run_. Don’t try to reason with him, don’t stick around, just fucking run. Inuyasha wouldn’t recognize him as a friend, only as prey. He wouldn’t hesitate to kill him. Friend, foe, there was no way to differentiate.

With that thought in mind Miroku reached the wall and knelt where Sango was sitting next to Kagome’s prone form. She looked at him, her eyes wide. 

“Wh-what’s happening? What’s wrong with him?” She gasped out.

Sango could feel the edges of her vision start to fade and she knew unconsciousness hovered over the horizon. She fought against it; she couldn’t afford to pass out right now. Not with her best friend lying on the ground and with a crazed dog demon going on a rampage. He was tearing through the remaining demons in the abandoned shrine as he snarled, eyes red and fangs protruding.

“His inner demon has come out. It was probably something he saw in those mirrors, and Kagome getting hurt was the last straw. His sanity broke and now his demon is in control.” Miroku answered, turning his back to her. “I have to get you and Kagome out of here. He told me if this ever happened to just run. Get on my back and I’ll carry Kagome.”

Sango struggled, giving a pained grunt as the wound in her chest stretched at the movement. Still, she managed to pull herself up on his back, wrapping her arms over his shoulders and around his neck. Miroku scooped up Kagome in his own arms and gave a strained groan as he stood. Sango gently ran a hand over the injury to his own chest. 

“Sorry. You’re hurt, too.”

“Not as hurt as you are. What the hell were you thinking?!”

Apparently he was going to yell at her.

“Got her, though, didn’t I?” Sango returned, not sounding the least bit sorry. 

Miroku didn’t respond, figuring they could talk about it later. He was just trying to get them all out of there in one piece. Once the last demon was ripped to pieces Inuyasha was likely to turn his attention onto them and he wanted them to be long gone before that happened. As he reached the door Kagome stirred. She squinted and blinked rapidly as if trying to clear her vision.

“Miroku? Why are you carrying me? What happened? Where’s Inuyasha?” The questions spilled out of Kagome as she struggled to gain her bearings. Ugh, her head was killing her. She remembered getting thrown and she felt something wet on the back of her head. She was bleeding and likely had a concussion.

The sound of animalistic snarls drew her attention and she twisted in Miroku’s arms even as he replied to her. “Inuyasha’s demon half has emerged. We have to get out of here. We can find him later when it’s subsided but for now we need to leave.” He told her.

“Put me down.” She demanded.

“Kagome, I don’t think--”

“Put me down! We are _not_ leaving without Inuyasha!!” Kagome’s voice edged on hysterical. She wiggled until Miroku acquiesced and set her onto her feet. She stumbled a little bit, leaning onto him for support while her head cleared again. Fuck her head hurt. She felt nauseous, like she had the worst ride on the tilt-a-whirl. Was she dreaming? Everything was so fuzzy. But she felt somewhat coherent. She finally looked up after steadying herself and her breath froze in her lungs at the sight of Inuyasha. Adrenaline kicked in; the shock from gazing upon him made her dreamlike state almost disappear.

Demons lay dead all around him and he had just finished ripping the last one to bloody shreds. Then, as if he sensed her gaze, he raised his head and met her eyes. Eyes as red as the blood staining his hands, irises as blue as the sea stared at her. There were twin jagged purple marks streaking his cheeks. The immense aura emanating from him should have made her cower in fear but she wasn’t afraid. She hesitantly took a step towards him.

“Kagome! Don’t!” Sango called out, fearful of what would happen should she approach him in this state. She knew Inuyasha cared deeply for Kagome but Miroku had just told her that he didn’t recognize anyone when he was like this.

“It’s okay. He won’t hurt me.” Kagome assured them as she continued to slowly walk up to Inuyasha. He growled at her in warning and she paused, swallowing. 

**“Get away from me.”** Inuyasha’s voice was a guttural rasp and he took a step back, away from her.

“No.”

**“I’ll kill you!”**

“You won’t.”

**“I can’t control this!”**

“I don’t believe that.”

Inuyasha snarled in response, flexing his claws. Kagome closed the distance between the two of them as Sango and Miroku watched, scarcely daring to breathe. One wrong move and this could end very badly. The dog demon tensed as if thinking the same thing. Miroku was frankly astonished he hadn’t yet attacked Kagome, although it appeared he was fighting the bloodlust that his demon blood demanded from him. Inuyasha, for the first time Miroku had ever seen, was scared. 

Kagome wasn’t sure what to do. Inuyasha was starting to lose the fight with himself and that, more than anything, was what scared her. She had to stop it. She knew he would never forgive himself if he hurt her, but she refused to abandon his side just because his demonic nature had taken control. There was only one thing she could think of, and it was almost an impulse. Maybe she could blame the concussion for her actions. Or maybe she was just looking for an excuse to test Sango’s words. Who really knew how or why she came up with the idea she had as she stood just a few inches from the half demon.

Carefully, she reached up with her hands and grasped the sides of his face. After a brief hesitation she pulled him down towards her and her lips met his. She closed her eyes as she kissed him and felt him stiffen, felt the vibration of his growl reverberate through his chest and tickle her lips. Slowly, ever so slowly he relaxed into her and he placed a hand at the small of her back. The growling stopped and she felt his fangs shrink back to their regular length. She let herself press her lips against his for a moment longer, savoring the intimate touch, almost swearing she felt him kiss her back, before pulling away. Inuyasha was looking at her with a strange expression, his eyes returning to their normal beautiful golden color.

“Oh. Well that’s interesting.” Miroku commented faintly as he and Sango released a breath they hadn’t realized they had been holding.

“I...I wasn’t expecting that to work.” Sango agreed, her voice weak. Her head drooped against his shoulder and Miroku looked back at her in alarm.

“Sango!”

“Mmm?”

“Don’t lose consciousness on me.”

“Trying not to. It’s hard after all that.”

She had definitely lost too much blood, and that coupled with the trauma to her body...Miroku swallowed. She was so strong to have held up as long as she had. They had to get out of there soon and get everyone looked at and healed. Himself included, he acknowledged silently. His stab wound wasn’t nearly as bad as hers or Kagome’s but it was still deep.

“Inuyasha...it’s okay.” Kagome told the half demon even as her head pounded again. She felt weak; between the blood loss and all her injuries she was on the verge of losing consciousness again. That or puking. Likely both. But she had to make sure Inuyasha was okay. She wasn’t sure how but it appeared she had managed to bring him back to himself. She smiled weakly at him before her legs finally gave out from both weakness and relief as her head fell against his chest.

“Kagome!”

Inuyasha gathered her up in his arms as her eyes closed again, holding her tightly to his chest. She had kissed him. She kissed him. She. Kissed. Him. His thoughts were all in a jumble. He couldn’t focus on anything that was happening. The woman in his arms was literally all that consumed his mind. Then realization dawned on him as he held her close; the wetness on the back of her head. She was bleeding. She had gotten hurt. She was unconscious. Fuck. Where was Miroku??

He finally looked over to see his best friend with Sango on his back. She looked pretty worse for wear too. They needed help. Without thinking twice, he leapt over to where they were waiting.

“We need to get them out of here.” Inuyasha stated, trying to distract Miroku from making any other additional comments until his mate and the monk’s girl were taken care of.

“Agreed. I'm going to give Jinenji a call and see if we should meet him or if he wants to come to us. He may not want us to move the girls too much, especially with Kagome's head injury." Miroku replied as they walked outside. He quietly added, "I'm glad to see you've returned to yourself."

Inuyasha gave a grunt of acknowledgement.

"Who's Jinenji?" Sango asked, her breathing labored.

"A half demon with minor healing abilities. He works as a doctor and helps out when we need medical assistance with no questions asked." Miroku answered.

Inuyasha had introduced them shortly after they had met when Miroku had gotten injured on the job. Even though Jinenji was a half demon like Inuyasha, his true form was much more monstrous but his glamour allowed him to blend in with regular society. Despite his appearance he had an incredibly gentle and kind soul, and rather than avoid people like Inuyasha, he had decided to try to help people with his gift in the best way he could. Some injuries were too hard to explain to the regular medical staff unaware of the supernatural and that's where Jinenji stepped in.

The sun had set long ago and the darkness was almost stifling. Or maybe it just felt that way due to how high tensions were running. Finding a tree in the overgrown courtyard, Miroku gently lowered Sango to the ground and leaned her against it. She said nothing, just looked at him with pained eyes that were beginning to unfocus as he knelt next her. Inuyasha stood nearby with Kagome still in his arms. Miroku doubted if even God Himself would be able to pry her from his grasp right then.

Quickly, Miroku retrieved his phone from the pocket of his jacket and made the call. As he had suspected Jinenji recommended they wait where they were and he would meet them at their location. It would take about twenty minutes for him to arrive.

As they waited in silence Miroku looked Sango over. There were streaks and flecks of crimson on her stark white face, likely from the spray of blood caused from striking Ayaka in the throat with that mirror shard. Between the darkness and the black leather of her outfit it was hard to tell how covered in her own blood she actually was but he assumed it had to be all over her chest and likely her back from where the stab wound had bled. And then there was the gash in her thigh from where Ayaka's athame had dug deep. He frowned.

Carefully, he reached out with a hand to test the wound on her chest and ever so gently pressed down. It didn't feel like it was bleeding anymore from what he could tell and he wasn't sure that was a good sign. With his other hand he pressed against her thigh and felt a slow trickle of liquid still oozing. With a silent apology to Sango he pressed harder against it, applying pressure to stop the bleeding.

"You trying to feel me up?" Sango gasped out, half joking. "Want me to smack you?"

Miroku gave the smallest smile at her attempt to lighten the mood. "Checking to see if you're still bleeding. Also, I doubt you'd be able to hurt a fly in your current condition."

"You'd be surprised." Sango returned with a false bravado. Then she shivered violently. Her limbs, already trembling, shook harder. "I feel so cold."

That was not good. While the air was a bit chilly with autumn now in full swing, the more likely reason for the sudden onset of cold in Sango's bones was the blood loss she had suffered. Miroku shifted both himself and her so that he was sitting down with Sango practically in his lap, his right arm wrapped around her shoulders as he pressed down on her thigh with his left hand firmly, still trying to staunch the flow of blood. She sighed and relaxed into him, resting her head against his shoulder and leaning into his embrace.

"You're so warm." She mumbled and Miroku only held her to him more tightly, saying nothing. For once, words failed him. 

Inuyasha said nothing during this entire exchange, his focus solely on the woman in his arms. Kagome still hadn’t regained consciousness and that worried him along with about a thousand other things. Like the small bit of arrow shaft still sticking out of her chest, blood soaking the area, or the blood leaking from the crack in her head. Or how he had almost killed her in his demon state. Just the thought of how close a call that had been made his own blood freeze in his veins. He was a danger to her, that much was clear.

Finally, Jinenji arrived in a white van. He exited the driver’s side then opened the doors to the back where all his medical supplies were. After retrieving some things he made his way to where they all had gathered by the tree.

Sango squinted at him as he approached. She was so tired, so close to just closing her eyes but she held on. Even in her current state she took a moment to assess his appearance. She assumed he had to be wearing his human glamour because there was nothing overtly demonic about his figure. The things that stood out the most to her was how incredibly tall he seemed to be; he practically towered over them all. His hair was black and his skin was tanned and covered in faint scars, which she thought was interesting considering not only his glamour but his profession. Maybe some wounds went too deep to truly heal or hide. She could understand that.

After a quick verbal exchange with Miroku, Jinenji went to work. He knelt next to her first and placed his hand on her head, closing his eyes. Then, seeming to come to some sort of conclusion, stood and did the same to Kagome in Inuyasha’s arms. 

“I’ll see to the slayer first.” Jinenji told them, and then when Inuyasha started to growl, continued. “She’s lost far too much blood and has multiple deep lacerations. Also, she’s still conscious which means she is suffering more right now. The priestess is badly hurt too and I will see to her next, but although her breathing is shallow her heartbeat is steady. The slayer’s pulse is becoming thready. Then, Miroku, I will see to you. I smell your blood too.”

“Fine. But make it quick.” Inuyasha practically snapped. 

Jinenji didn’t reply and knelt next to Miroku and Sango again. He laid his hands upon her once more, this time on her chest where she was stabbed and a soft green glow spread from him to the wound. After some time he removed his hands and gently moved aside Miroku’s grip on her thigh wound, pressing on it himself and that same green glow shone out from his hands.

Sango was definitely starting to feel much better. Her chest still hurt and it likely wasn’t completely healed but it was far better than before. She also felt some of her strength returning and breathing wasn’t such a struggle anymore. In addition, the ice that had taken a hold of her was slowly thawing. She silently acknowledged to herself that was in part due to being held by Miroku. Jinenji pulled his hands away and spoke, addressing his words to her.

“Your injuries are not completely healed,” he told her, confirming her suspicions. “I did speed up the healing process quite a bit, though. That stab wound in your chest will take about another week or two to completely heal rather than the months it likely would have. As for the laceration to your thigh, it is almost entirely healed. It will be a day or two before I would recommend putting weight on it and it should be only about four days for that to finish healing. I have also tried to help replenish your blood supply but you need much rest. Eat and drink when you get home; it will help.”

“Thank you.” She told him simply.

“You are most welcome.” He smiled at her before moving on to Kagome. Inuyasha reluctantly lowered her to the ground so Jinenji could do his work.

He took some of his supplies and then cut her sweater partly open to allow himself better access to her injury. Expertly removing the remaining piece of arrow in her chest he then placed a piece of gauze soaked with disinfectant over it to stop the flow of blood that followed. After a moment he focused his power into her, healing the deep puncture. When he was done with that he moved onto her head injury. As he began to pull away, Inuyasha spoke.

"Hey, if you're done why isn't she waking up?"

"After such a trauma her body needs rest to recover. It's the body's most natural way of healing itself. She will be fine and likely wake up tomorrow. She’ll need to take it easy for at least a week or so. Her balance will still be skewed for the first couple of days so she’ll likely have on and off waves of nausea and severe migraines. Tell her to drink water and to sit down until it passes. Her body will have to readjust to being upright and she shouldn’t lay down unless she is sleeping. Her migraines will likely continue but they won’t be as bad or debilitating after a few weeks or so." Jinenji answered.

“I thought you fucking healed her. You told Sango you shaved off time.” Inuyasha snarled.

“Yes; however concussions are different Inuyasha. There are more lasting effects than a stab wound. I healed her as best as I could and I did speed up the recovery. The problem is that brain trauma often can have effects up to a year if not more. She will be able to fight again at full strength within a couple weeks, but the headaches will likely still be present.”

He healed Miroku's own stab wound then left them with a few supplies of their own. Miroku mentioned the humans clinging to life inside the shrine and Jinenji told them he would take care of it which was a relief. They were all ready for the night to be over.

Inuyasha picked Kagome back up, cradling her against his body gently and reentered the shrine, returning a moment later with his sword at his waist. He didn't say a word as he left with Kagome.

As Miroku began to help Sango to her feet so they could leave as well, she gripped his arm, stopping him. "Wait! My Hiraikotsu. It's still inside the shrine too."

"I'll go get it." Miroku told her. "Wait here a moment." He left her leaning against the tree before she could respond and went to retrieve the weapon in question. Seeing it lying on the floor in front of one of the broken mirrors, Miroku picked up and almost staggered for a second at the weight. _'This thing is so heavy. She always makes it look so easy.'_ He thought as he slung it across his back, impressed again with the slayer. Jinenji was at the side of the people meant to be sacrifices lying against the wall, doing his best to heal them as well. 

"Thank you again for all that you've done here." Miroku told him sincerely and Jinenji simply smiled in return. He walked out and reached Sango's side. "Okay, let's go."

Sango started to try and hobble her way back to Miroku's car but without any warning Miroku picked her up and began to carry her before she could even register what was happening. She made a small sound of surprise, clutching onto his shoulders to steady herself.

"Th-this isn't necessary! You don't have to carry me!"

Miroku glanced down at her briefly and shook his head at her protests, smiling a little at her embarrassment. 

"You heard Jinenji. You're not to put any weight on that leg."

"I can't have you carry me around everywhere for the next couple days!"

"I am more than okay with doing that."

"I'm not!!"

Miroku merely chuckled in reply as he helped her into the car, then set her Hiraikotsu and his shakujo into the back. As he drove them back to his apartment he considered saying several things but discarded them all. It could wait until tomorrow.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here we take a break from our regularly scheduled plot to get these idiots to finally confess their feelings and bring them together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to lavendertwilight89 for being my beta and to hnnwnchstr for being my hype girl <3
> 
> I love comments!

Kagome awoke with her chest feeling sore and her head aching. Oh, her _head_ . It felt like someone had taken a pickaxe to it, splitting it wide open. The headache seemed to induce a bout of nausea and she struggled to sit up, trying to wait for it all to subside. Ugh. She felt awful. _‘Two days in a row. I really have to stop waking up like this.’_ She thought grimly.

After several minutes it seemed to pass and she let out a shaky breath. Once she could think clearly again her first thoughts were of the fight last night and Inuyasha. She was nervous about seeing him again. She had kissed him. There was no going back and undoing it and even if she could she wouldn’t. Still, she hoped her impulsive actions hadn’t made things too awkward between them; her feelings were out there in the open now. Maybe she was overthinking it, though. Her kiss had somehow helped to bring him back to his right mind after he had lost himself to his demonic state, so maybe Sango had been right after all. Maybe it was possible he felt something for her too...

Looking down she noticed she was in her pajamas and wondered who had changed her because it certainly hadn’t been herself. For a moment she considered Inuyasha and her face reddened. Banishing the thought from her mind, she slowly got herself dressed for the day. It was a little bit of a struggle as she kept losing her balance but she finally managed. 

As she walked into the kitchen her mother greeted her with a warm smile.

“Good morning, dear. How did you sleep? Inuyasha told me you guys were in quite a fight last night and got rather banged up.”

“Good, thanks. I know I got hurt but I don’t remember much of it after…” Kagome trailed off, not quite ready to tell her mother about how she had kissed the half demon.

“Inuyasha filled me in, as well as what your care is to be for the next couple weeks and what to expect.” Kagome’s mother told her as she filled a glass of water and handed it to her. “Here, drink. You’re supposed to be kept hydrated.”

Kagome obediently took the water, drinking it as she listened to her mother tell her what the instructions for her care were. When her mother was done she spoke.

“Inuyasha told you all this? Why can't he just tell me himself when I see him?”

At those words the smile on her mother’s face dimmed and Kagome’s heart rate kicked up a notch. Anxiety flooded her veins. 

“About that, dear. He informed me that something happened between you two and he thinks it’s best to maintain some distance for a while. He’ll still watch over you, you just won’t notice him there unless you are in danger.”

Kagome felt the ground drop out from beneath her at that. Something that had happened between them...it had to be the kiss. It _had_ to be. She had kissed him and he couldn’t even stand to be around her anymore. Oh God. Tears began to well up in her eyes before she could stop it and without another word she spun on her heel to run back upstairs to her room.

“Kagome?!” Her mother called after her in concern but the tears were already starting to fall. She couldn’t hold it back, her heart felt like it was being constricted and it was difficult to breathe. Shutting her bedroom door behind her Kagome threw herself onto her bed and cried her eyes out. It seemed like Sango was wrong; he didn’t want her or feel the same. His rejection had been obvious.

~☆~

Sango got dressed after a short struggle and began to hobble her way back out to the living room. After arriving back home last night she had fought the pull of sleep only long enough to eat a sandwich, drink some juice, and take a much needed shower to cleanse herself of all the caked on blood she was soaked in. That had also been a struggle considering Jinenji’s instructions of not putting weight on her left leg for a day or two but she had managed. She had certainly _not_ been going to ask a certain monk to help her with that, although she knew he would have not only been willing but _thrilled._ Yeah, no.

As she entered the main living area of Miroku’s apartment she smelled...bacon, eggs, and waffles? She stared as she took in the sight of Miroku setting the western-style breakfast onto plates and turning to greet her with a smile. He had....cooked breakfast? In all the time they had been--Sango didn’t want to say “living together” but there was really no other phrase for it-- he had never done this. They always made their own and it was simple fare.

“You cooked breakfast?” She asked in surprise and her stomach gave an appreciative growl. Ohhh, that looked and smelled _so_ good and she was absolutely starving. 

“Good morning. Yes. Jinenji said you needed to eat to regain your strength and you hardly ate anything last night. Therefore, I have taken it upon myself to make sure you are properly fed.” Miroku answered. “I hope you like bacon.”

“Wow, thank you. And uhm, I do, although I prefer sausage.”

“Sausage? Oh, really? You like your sausage, do you?” He waggled his eyebrows at her.

“Yes I--” Sango began, not understanding, then stopped. She gave him a look. “Really, Miroku? Are you twelve??”

He just laughed and she rolled her eyes. Idiot. He was a perverted idiot.

They ate and when they were done Sango tried to help clear the table, still shuffling along awkwardly. She felt like an invalid. Finally, Miroku took the dish in her hands and ordered her to go sit on the couch and she reluctantly obeyed. This was so annoying. Finishing up, Miroku came and joined her on the couch and she suddenly felt nervous. He had left a few inches of space between them but he was still sitting awfully close. She looked at him and his beautifully unique indigo eyes were arresting; she couldn’t look away.

“Sango.” He began, and his tone was serious. “Last night, the risks you took...you could have died. The way you sacrificed yourself with no hesitation...I wish you hadn’t.”

“As a demon slayer that’s a risk I take every time I engage in a fight, Miroku. Last night was no different. Also, I seem to remember you doing something similar when we fought that spider demon.” Sango replied, starting to feel defensive. “Besides, I didn’t have any other option. If you can’t handle that, then that’s not my problem and maybe you should focus your attentions on someone else because I will always do what is necessary.”

Miroku took a breath, trying to find the right words to phrase this as carefully as he could. He could feel her walls start to come up again and he couldn’t let that happen. He needed to approach this just right.

“I’m not saying I can’t handle it, or that you shouldn’t do whatever it takes. I respect you and your strength. But when the cost is your life, that concerns me. Sango, you are not expendable.” Miroku reached out and took one of her hands in his own. “Especially not to me. There is no one who could ever hope to replace you. All I ask is that you place a little more value on your life when in battle. Please.”

The tension drained out of Sango at his heartfelt words and she blushed a little at not only his sincerity but the intense way his eyes bore into her own.

“I-I’m sorry for worrying you.” She finally said, her eyes dropping to look at her hand in his. As she watched he raised her hand to his mouth and brushed a kiss over her knuckles and her eyes flew back to his own while butterflies stirred in her stomach. “Miroku?”

“You know, it’s tomorrow now.” He pointed out. “You said you had a lot of things you wanted to tell me and talk to me about.”

Oh, right. The butterflies turned into a storm of nerves and she took a deep breath to try to ease the sudden knot of anxiety. 

“Right. I did. I mean, I do. I mean--” Sango began, already flustered, when her phone started to ring. She glanced at it and saw it was Kagome. “I’m sorry, Miroku. Hold on, it’s Kagome. Hello?”

Miroku waited patiently, not too bothered at the interruption. The priestess was likely calling to check in on her friend after the intense battle they had fought the previous night. However, it quickly became clear to him that this was not the case.

“Kagome?” Sango asked when Kagome hadn’t responded. She heard sniffling and choked sobs on the other end of the line. There was music playing in the background. “Kagome, what’s wrong??”

“Inuyasha left me!!” Kagome wailed. Sango could finally pick out the song playing in the background. It sounded like Stay by Rihanna. Kagome was the type of person who, when she was upset or sad, listened to music to make her even more sad. Sango could just picture the way Kagome was huddled on her bed, probably singing along to it as tears rolled down her face before she had called her.

“What do you mean ‘he left you?’”

“Exactly what I said. You were wrong, Sango. I kissed him and now he doesn’t even want to be around me anymore!” Kagome said in a voice thick with tears.

“What did he say to you?” Sango asked. Jinenji had said not to put any weight on her leg for a couple days but if she had to go over to the Higurashi Shrine and kick a dog demon’s ass then that’s exactly what she would do.

“Nothing. He talked to my mom while I was asleep.” Kagome sniffled. “He told her something happened between us and he thought it was best to keep some distance between us now. It has to be because I kissed him! I ruined _everything_!”

Sango could tell Kagome was quickly spiraling.

“Kagome, I’m going to come over and talk some sense into him. Miroku and I will handle everything. Don’t worry; I’m going to fix this.” She assured her best friend. Kagome mumbled an acknowledgement and they hung up.

“What exactly are we going to handle?” Miroku asked curiously. He had gathered that something had happened between Inuyasha and Kagome again and wondered what his best friend had done this time.

“Sorry, Miroku. I know I promised I would talk to you today but it’s going to have to wait. Your best friend is making _my_ best friend cry so we’re going over there to straighten him out.” Sango replied as she stood up from the couch and walked into his bedroom. “I’m going to get dressed then we’re going.”

Now Miroku was really curious as to what had happened. He waited for Sango and several minutes later she emerged in her slayer suit. He stared at her.

“Why are you wearing your slayer gear?” He asked her, not sure if he wanted to know the answer.

“Just in case.” Sango said as she limped past him.

“Just in case what?”

“Don’t worry about it.”

“I am, in fact, very worried about it now.”

Sango didn’t respond as they left. She allowed him to help her down the stairs and then they were on their way. Aside from a short explanation on what Kagome had told her she was silent the whole drive, her face set in an expression that promised pain. Miroku was just glad he wasn’t on the receiving end of her wrath. Once they arrived, she turned to him.

“Go find Inuyasha and talk some sense into him.” She told him. 

“What are you going to do?”

“I’ll go find Kagome and try to calm her down. You better hope you can convince Inuyasha to get his head out of his ass and talk to her.”

“And if I can’t?”

“Guess we’ll find out.”

With those rather ominous words she exited the car, heading into the Higurashi residence while Miroku got out and sighed. He was mildly annoyed that Inuyasha’s actions were delaying his conversation with Sango. Of course, he understood why Sango was holding off-- her best friend came first. He set off in search of his own best friend, entering the forest. There was an advantage to having known Inuyasha as long as he had and one of those was knowing what spots Inuyasha liked to retreat to when he was sulking or otherwise in a mood. After only a little bit of searching Miroku came upon him. Inuyasha was sitting high up on the branch of a particular tree, scowling.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” He demanded without preamble.

“Apparently to talk some sense into you.” Miroku replied.

“Oh yeah? It better not be about Kagome.”

“That’s exactly what this is about and I think you know it. Inuyasha, why did you leave her side?”

“Because I almost fucking killed her, that’s why. I’m a danger to her. She’s better off if I keep my distance.”

“You know she thinks it’s because she kissed you. She called Sango, crying.” Miroku told him.

“It doesn’t matter what she thinks!” Inuyasha snapped back. “Now leave me the fuck alone, I’m not changing my mind!”

“You have a woman who actually genuinely cares for you, wants to be with you, and you’re pushing her away. Just like you do with everyone. Stop making things so difficult for yourself!”

“What part of ‘I almost killed her’ do you not _get_?!”

“You didn’t kill her, though! You didn't even _hurt_ her! If anything, she’s the only one who could have possibly gotten through to you. I was honestly shocked. She accepts you, _all_ of you, but you can’t just let yourself believe it!”

“Come back with the relationship advice once you manage to get your own girl to agree to have anything to do with you! Is she still rejecting you every chance she gets?” Inuyasha sneered.

Miroku took a deep breath, trying not to lose his temper. Maybe he should let Sango handle this, after all. 

“Actually, if it hadn’t been for your bone-headed actions I would probably be making a lot more progress with her, but thanks to _you,_ that’s been put on hold until things are sorted out between you and Kagome. Sango won’t do anything while her best friend is very clearly upset, and the cause of that upset is _you_.”

“Yeah, sure, likely story. Don’t take your frustrations over your failure to get a woman out on me!”

Clearly this wasn’t working. Miroku was done. Words would not be enough to sway his friend; Inuyasha was far too stubborn. Refusing to let the half demon take out his woes on him, he turned on his heel and walked away without another word. When he had reached the Higurashi residence again he found Sango in Kagome’s room, entering after a knock and an assent to come in.

Kagome’s eyes were red and there was music playing. Sango looked up at him from where she sat on the bed with the priestess, one of her arms wrapped around her. He paused.

“Is… is this Say Something by A Great Big World playing right now?” He asked.

“Yes…” Kagome’s voice wobbled as she hiccuped, more tears falling from her cinnamon eyes.

“She has a whole playlist going on Spotify right now. She gets like this.” Sango explained. “How did it go?”

“Not well.” Miroku said. Kagome cried harder at that and Sango narrowed her eyes.

“Kagome, I’ll be back.” She told her best friend.

“What are you going to do?”

Miroku also wanted to know the answer to that question.

“I’m going to take care of this.” She responded cryptically, leaving the room. Miroku followed her out and down the stairs. She limped to his car and undid the latch to the trunk, retrieving her Hiraikotsu.

“Sango, what are you doing? Why are you taking your weapon?”

“Because I may have to kill your best friend if he doesn’t stop acting like an immature asshole.”

Well, that escalated quickly. He loved how fiercely loyal and protective she was, though. She also sounded deadly serious.

“Sango, maybe this can wait a couple days? At least until you can put weight on your left leg again. Inuyasha will likely still be up in his tree sulking.” Miroku tried to suggest. She turned her glare on him and he internally withered at that stare.

“No. I don’t give a shit. I’m taking care of this now, today. Kagome doesn’t deserve to be toyed with because your asshole friend can’t get his shit together. She never really allowed herself to get close to boys because of her duties. She has always been there for me; through the breakups, the fallouts, the training, the jobs-- everything. Now tell me where he is.”

Miroku told her, giving in. Inuyasha had brought this upon himself, after all. He certainly wasn’t going to stand in Sango’s way, not when she looked like she was prepared to march through hell itself. It was best to just stand back and let her do whatever it was she felt needed to be done. His approach obviously hadn’t worked. As Sango disappeared into the forest to confront Inuyasha, Miroku headed back inside and upstairs to where Kagome was. As he neared her room he heard more sad music playing.

She looked up as he reentered her room. He carefully sat on the edge of the bed next to her, giving her a comforting smile and rubbing her shoulder. She leaned into it, still crying but clearly trying to get her tears under control.

“I know I’m not Sango, but I have a free shoulder to cry on if you’re interested.” He told her. Kagome needed no further encouragement and buried her face in his shoulder. He patted her back in soothing motions.

“Miroku?”

“Hmm?”

“Where did Sango go?”

“To talk to Inuyasha.”

“What’s the point?!” She wailed into his shoulder. “I kissed him and now he can’t even stand to be around me!”

“Kagome, that’s definitely not the reason.” Miroku assured her. “I won’t deny that he’s being a stubborn ass right now, though.”

“Wh-what do you mean?”

“I don’t really know if it’s my place to say, but screw it. He’s being an idiot because he’s concerned that he almost killed you in his demonic state. Of course, there’s probably more to it but that’s the gist.”

Kagome raised her head from his shoulder and sniffled loudly. Disbelief was written all over her face, and then her eyebrows lowered as she scowled.

“Well that’s just stupid! He would never do that.”

“I know, Kagome. After last night, that much is apparent.” Miroku agreed. “Sango must be talking with him right now. I’m sure she’ll succeed where I failed.”

What Miroku failed to mention was that her “talking” was likely to involve a lot more action than actual words. Kagome didn’t need to know that, though.

~☆~

Inuyasha's ears twitched as he heard someone approaching again. Why couldn't they all just leave him the fuck alone? This was for the best, and besides it's not like he was shirking his duties. He would still make sure she was kept safe. He would give his life to keep her from harm. But she had been clear that there was to be nothing more between them, not to mention he was still alarmed at how close he had come to giving in to his demon blood and ripping into her. The only thing that had stopped him, the _only_ thing, had been his baser instincts recognizing her as his mate; that had superseded the need for the kill. That, and her kiss. That still had him confused, why she had kissed him when he had been going on a demonic rampage. It didn't matter, though. This was for the best. And if he told himself that enough times he might start to believe it.

His first thought was that it was Miroku coming to try and convince him again but after scenting the air and listening to the cadence of the footsteps he realized it wasn’t him but Sango. Great. First the monk, now the slayer. Miroku must have told her where to find him. She finally came into view and her expression was murder. The fact that she was dressed head to toe in her slayer gear, complete with weapons, wasn’t lost on him.

“Inuyasha!” She called out, spotting him in his perch. He huffed.

“What the fuck do you want?” He asked rudely.

“You already know what. Why are you being like this? Do you not care how your actions are breaking Kagome’s heart?!”

“She’ll get over it. It’s not like she was interested in me as anything more than a friend, anyways. Don’t be dramatic and tell me I’m breaking her heart.” 

Sango looked at him like he was stupid and it pissed him off.

“The fuck are ya looking at me like that for?!” He demanded.

“You really don’t know, do you?”

“Know what?”

“That she’s in love with you, you _idiot_!” Sango yelled at him. Inuyasha’s world stopped for a few seconds at that declaration. Then he scoffed, crossing his arms.

“You expect me to believe that? She was pretty fucking clear she wanted me to forget anything that happened the night you guys got drunk off your asses!”

Sango was still looking at him like he was stupid and when she spoke again she spoke slowly, as if speaking to a child.

“That’s because she thinks you’d never feel the same about her.”

Inuyasha would have been sure the slayer was lying but he could smell the veracity of her statement. The hope that inspired was quickly squashed by the reminder that he had still almost killed her, she had gotten badly hurt on his watch making him a failure as a protector, and the fact that she was a priestess and he was a half demon. Just because he had recognized Kagome as his mate didn’t mean that everything was going to magically just work out. His life wasn’t that simple or easy. Nothing ever was for him, not as a half breed.

“Just leave. It doesn’t matter.” Inuyasha told her in a dismissive tone, turning his back to her. Of course she didn’t fucking leave. God dammit.

“Seriously?! Stop acting like such a fucking child!” Sango snarled at him angrily.

“Leave me the fuck alone!”

“I swear Inuyasha, if you don’t go to her _right now_ and talk to her I will slay your ass!”

Inuyasha turned a look on her and his gold eyes widened. She had moved into a battle stance, her Hiraikotsu at the ready. This crazy bitch was serious. What the fuck??

“Hey, aren’t you supposed to stay off that leg? You seriously expect me to fight you when you’re probably weak as fuck after that fight last night?”

Sango deftly threw her weapon at him in answer. Inuyasha swore and dodged, dropping down from his perch to land lightly on his feet at the base of the tree as the boomerang returned to her grip. She prepared to throw it again.

“You want to put that theory to the test? Don’t fucking try me.” Sango replied with steel in her voice. “Kagome is my best friend and I will hurt anyone who hurts her.”

“My demon blood took complete control! What if I had hurt her?? I can’t risk that!” Inuyasha finally snapped. 

“Are you playing at ignorance or are you really that fucking stupid?!” Sango demanded. “Your demon half responded to her! She was able to calm you down with her touch, with her _kiss_ for fuck’s sake! Something _nobody_ should have been able to do. What the hell do you think that means?!”

Shit. Sango had also figured out Kagome was his mate.

“I’m not stupid but she’s a fucking priestess, okay! I’m not gonna make her choose between her duties or me!” Inuyasha yelled.

“Who says she has to choose? And how dare you take that decision away from her. You owe her that much! She’s never had this kind of opportunity before! She deserves a choice!” Sango fired back. “Now, are you going to get your shit together and go talk to her or do I have to waste my time fighting your stupid ass?”

Inuyasha was quiet for a moment, thinking about his options. Sango was clearly not going to budge. She was fiercely loyal, to a fault even, and fighting her would only cause more problems. He had no real desire to fight her either. Kagome was already incredibly upset and as for Miroku, well...the monk was head over heels for Sango, and Inuyasha didn't need his best friend pissed at him too. Sango was also making a lot of sense, assuming what she said about Kagome’s feelings was true. Maybe he had just been too twisted up inside to see all the points she was making. Or maybe he had just needed someone almost as brash and headstrong as he was to get past his stubbornness and point out what should have been obvious. 

"Fuck. I'm an idiot." He said aloud.

"Yes, we've already established that." Sango replied. "Now, are you going to go fix things with her?"

"Yeah, yeah. I'm goin'." Inuyasha grumbled and began to head back to the shrine. As he passed Sango he paused. "Here, get on my back. I'll carry ya. That leg of yours don't need any more weight put on it."

Sango figured that was his version of an apology to her and accepted his offer. The wound was definitely aching after all the strain she had placed upon it today, as was the injury to her chest after throwing her Hiraikotsu. It would be a few days until she was at one hundred percent again. Or even longer, according to Jinenji. She just hoped Tsubaki didn't strike again in the meantime. Hopefully after the loss of her accomplice and apprentice she would be licking her wounds and need time to regroup. 

As they made their way back Sango pulled out her phone, calling Miroku. He answered after the first ring.

“Sango?” His tone was cautious, as if he wasn’t sure what to expect.

“Hey. We’re headed back. You want to meet me by the car?” She said.

Miroku let out a breath he had clearly been holding. “We? As in you and Inuyasha? You’re both...in one piece?”

“Yup.”

“How did you get through to him?”

“Sometimes a straightforward approach is best. Also, I knew some things you probably didn’t. Like--”

“Hey! I’m right fucking here, ya know!” Inuyasha cut in, ears flicking in annoyance. “Can you guys at least wait until I’m not around before you talk about me?”

“Of course, our apologies, Inuyasha.” Miroku said through the phone, although there was amusement in his voice.

“I bet you’re just happy this is dealt with so you can get back to making _progress_ with Sango, whatever that means.” Inuyasha continued snarkily.

Sango blushed at the half demon’s words and wondered what Miroku had told Inuyasha about the things that had happened between them. Unbidden, the image of herself drunk and wrapped around Miroku, as well as the way she had felt his body respond, popped into her mind and she felt a tingle of heat creep through her.

“Can you not get turned on thinking about him when I’m carrying ya?” Inuyasha asked in a disgusted voice.

“What?!” Sango blurted out and Miroku laughed on the other end of the phone.

“Your scent just--” Inuyasha started.

“I’m hanging up now!” Sango rushed out, interrupting him and cutting off Miroku’s reply about how he was _really_ interested in what the change in her scent meant.

Inuyasha snickered at Sango’s obvious embarrassment and she glared at the back of his head.

“Was that really necessary?” She groused at him. Inuyasha just snickered some more. Asshole. Finally they left the forest and were back at the Higurashi residence. Miroku was waiting for her by the car as she had requested and he was grinning. She inwardly groaned. This was just what she needed before having her talk with him.

Inuyasha let Sango down, then turned and bounded up to the window of Kagome’s bedroom. He didn’t bother to tell them goodbye; he had other priorities right now. Such as the girl on the other side of that window. The harsh scent of salt from all her tears she’d likely been crying assailed his sensitive nose. He slid the window open, entering her room and she looked up at his entrance, nose red and eyes puffy from crying. She didn’t look surprised to see him but he had already figured Miroku told her that Sango had convinced him to come and talk to her. She didn’t say anything, just stared at him, tears still falling from those beautiful brown eyes of hers. Fuck. 

“Shit. S-stop cryin’!” Inuyasha said, feeling slightly panicky. This was all his fault.

“I can’t just turn it off!!” Kagome yelled, still crying. “You’re the reason I’m crying! You told my mom you wanted to distance yourself from me when I-- when I--” She broke off, unable to finish the sentence, her voice choked by a sob. 

Inuyasha crossed the space between them in a few steps and pulled her into an embrace, holding her tightly to him.

"Listen. Romance ain't really my strong suit but clearly I’ve messed up here and seriously misread what you were tryin’ to tell me yesterday.” Inuyasha began. “I’m so sorry, Kagome. But I’m here now.”

“Why the hell did you even try to leave to begin with?” 

“Just hear me out, would ya? When I lost control to my demonic half last night...it was one of the few times I’ve ever been so scared in my very long life. I was so close to ripping into you, hurting you… there was only one reason I was able to hold back. And that reason combined with how you had told me you wanted me to forget anything you said or did the night you got drunk, well, I figured you didn’t want a half breed like me.” Inuyasha explained.

“I said that because I thought you wouldn’t ever want me. A priestess. I didn't want things to be awkward. I just--I wanted us to be friends, even if you didn’t like me,” Kagome replied, her face still buried in his chest.

“I told you I liked being around you!”

“That’s not the same as saying you _like_ or _love_ me.” She argued. Then she blushed as she spoke her next words. “Also, I k-kissed you. It doesn’t get much more obvious than that.”

“I know, I’m an idiot. I’m sorry. I just thought maybe I was too obvious about my own feelings and...other things, that you somehow figured out your touch was the only way to stop me.”

“What other things? Inuyasha, you said there was only one reason you were able to hold back from hurting me. What was that reason?” Kagome pulled back slightly, but only just enough so that she could gaze up at him. Inuyasha looked slightly uncomfortable.

“I don’t know how much you know about demons and mates but demons only have one. When you meet them, it’s instinctual, you just know. With my human blood it got muddled a little bit when we first met; but I eventually figured out you were mine. That’s the only thing that stopped me from killing you last night. The reason you were able to calm me down. My demon half recognized you as...well, _mine_.”

Something about being called _mine_ by Inuyasha made warmth bloom inside Kagome’s chest. It felt...right. She wanted to be his. 

“Oh.” She said, smiling now. “Why...why didn’t you tell me?”

“Seriously? You have to ask that question?”

“Well, why not?”

“You mean aside from other reasons I just gave??”

Kagome just continued to look at him expectantly.

“You’re a priestess and I’m a half demon. I’ve never heard of any demon mating with a priestess before and figured this was just fate’s way of giving me a giant ‘fuck you.’ Kagome, I don’t want to make you choose between your duties and me.” Inuyasha replied. “You don’t have to agree to anything you don’t want to. We can just go on being ‘friends’ or whatever.”

“But I _do_ want you.” She told him honestly, bringing her hands up between them to clutch at his haori. “I want to be with you. I want to be _yours_. I love you, Inuyasha. I don’t care that you’re a half demon. And I refuse to believe that I can’t be both a priestess and your mate. You’re the only person who has honestly made me feel this way. I just thought… Maybe there was something wrong with me. I don’t know. But I don’t want to give up this feeling.”

Inuyasha’s world stopped for the second time that day. Sango had told him that Kagome had feelings for him, but to hear those words of love and acceptance spilling from her own beautiful pink lips, he could scarcely believe it. He had never imagined anyone would ever love him, ever accept him and want him in the ways she was telling him that she did. He wasn’t one for the mushy stuff but he felt his heart grow full at the sight of the woman in his arms gazing up at him with eyes so full of love and adoration. Fuck, he loved her so much. He had no idea it was possible to care for someone so much.

“Kagome…” He said, voice thick with the emotion that he rarely let show. “God, I love you.”

He leaned down and kissed her, the feel of her lips on his sending fire through his body. She melted into him and moved her hands from his haori to wrap around his neck to keep him in place. Without hesitation, she kissed him back and it only fueled his own passion. His tongue lightly traced the seam of her lips and she parted them, allowing him entry. The way her scent had changed was absolutely intoxicating to him and he lifted her in his arms, practically carrying her, and she enthusiastically climbed him as their kisses turned more heated. Finally, they broke apart, panting and staring into each other’s eyes. 

“Sorry. I got a little carried away.” Inuyasha said, his voice husky with desire for her, resting his forehead against hers. “We should take this slowly; I have no idea what mating will do to your powers.”

Kagome giggled, giving him a shy but happy smile. “I’m not complaining. And nothing will happen to my powers.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Inuyasha…” She sighed, half in bliss and half in exasperation. “We’ll talk about it later. For now, I want you to kiss me again. And again. And again.”

Smirking now, Inuyasha was only too happy to obey.

~☆~

Sango fidgeted nervously as she sat on the couch again. Miroku had teased her on the car ride home as she had known he would. He took great pleasure in seeing her grow flustered at the mention of how Inuyasha had said she was getting “turned on by thinking about him.” She should have just slayed that stupid dog demon. The only way she had gotten Miroku to shut up about it was to alternately threaten to remove him from the moving vehicle they were both in (despite the fact that he was driving) and pleading with him to please just wait until they were back home.

“Fine. But I’m not letting you get out this one, not this time. We are definitely talking about it.” Miroku had told her with a knowing smirk and another laugh. She had glared halfheartedly but hadn’t argued. And now the moment of truth was finally upon her, for the second time that day. This time, for sure, she would tell him her feelings. She sat, inches away from where Miroku was sitting next to her, and stared at her hands in her lap, trying to find her voice, trying to figure out where to begin.

“Sango?” Miroku prompted, when her silence had stretched on a little too long. “I know we got interrupted this morning but I’m ready to hear all the things you said you wanted to say to me.”

“Uhm...I know I promised I would, and I want to, but I’m sorry this is just...this is difficult for me. I’m not good at talking about my feelings.” Sango managed, still staring at her hands.

“No, really? I would have never guessed.” Miroku teased sarcastically. Sango gave him an annoyed look and he gave her a lopsided smile in return. Reaching into her lap with his own hands he stilled her fidgeting, holding her hands in his. “Sango, it’s okay. Just talk to me.”

Sango took a deep breath, looking at her hands in his, as she spoke.

“Miroku, I...I know I said a lot of things, and-- and did a lot of things the night I got drunk. Things I wasn’t quite ready for you to hear or admit out loud, even to myself, but now they’re out there in the open and I can’t take it back so I guess I have to be honest now. And I _want_ to be honest with you, about how I feel about you, it’s only fair, but it’s hard. I…I’ve had some bad experiences with guys but you’ve proven yourself to be worthy of my trust so I really don’t have any good excuses to keep putting this off-- to keep denying how you make me feel. And what I want.”

“And how do you feel about me, Sango? What do you want?” Miroku asked, hardly daring to breathe as he waited for her answer.

Sango hesitantly raised her eyes to meet his own. He was looking at her with a quiet intensity and it took her breath away for a moment, her heart fluttering in her chest. Or maybe that was the nerves.

“I...I really like you. I think I may even lo-...love you.” She swallowed, stumbling over the word a little bit and blushing. “I want you. To be with you.”

Miroku felt the air leave his lungs in a rush. She had said it. He used his grip on her hands to pull her the rest of the way to him, then released them in favor of wrapping his arms around her. Resting his chin on top of her head, he couldn't stop himself from embracing her after her heartfelt confession. Those words had been music to his ears. He hadn’t expected to hear her say them so soon, thinking he would have to wait longer. They had only really known each other for about a month, after all, and Sango was reserved when it came to expressing anything like romantic feelings. But she admitted she loved him. His own love for her filled him until he felt near to overflowing. This woman in his arms was everything he had never known he wanted or needed, but was now everything that mattered. He wanted to celebrate but felt Sango wouldn’t appreciate it so he settled for pulling her close and holding her body tightly to his.

“M-Miroku...I’m not done.” Sango said, her voice muffled a little by his chest.

“Sorry, I couldn’t contain my joy at hearing those words from you, my dear Sango.” Miroku said, kissing the top of her head. “I’m still listening.”

“I was scared of getting hurt but I can tell what you feel for me is genuine. I want to be with you but I’m not fully ready to act on my...my desires. But I don’t want to keep pushing you away, either.”

As if contradicting her words, Sango brought her own arms up and wrapped them around Miroku, and rubbed her face against his chest, letting out a soft sigh.

“And by ‘desires’ you mean…?” Miroku asked leadingly.

“Like when I asked you to s-sleep with me when I was drunk, or getting t-t-turned on thinking about you earlier but--but that’s only because I was remembering the way I had held onto you that night and the way your-- your body--” Her face was bright red. Oh God, what was she saying??

“When my body responded to your rather aggressive sexual advances?” Miroku offered helpfully, trying to control his smirk. She pulled away, releasing him, words still spilling from her lips in an uncontrolled deluge.

“I mean obviously I want to sleep with you-- I mean, _Oh God!!_ I don’t mean I’m dying to sleep with you! I’m not! I mean I want to-- I mean no-- not that I don’t want to or that I don’t find you attractive, because I do, like _really_ attractive-- Oh God, I mean-- and I do want you in that way too but like--” 

Oh God, why was she still _talking_?? She needed somebody to shut her up, say something, anything, to get her to _stop talking_ _right now._

“Aren’t you going to say something?!” Sango finally asked him, a little desperately.

“Oh no, I wouldn’t dare interrupt. Please, continue. I’m dying to hear what comes next.” Miroku replied with amusement in his indigo eyes. Sango smacked him on the arm.

“M-my point is, I don’t want to jump into anything physical right away. I don't have much experience with these kinds of things. My first, and only, time wasn’t pleasant and even though I know you would never do to me what he did, I still…” Sango trailed off, feeling incredibly vulnerable. She couldn’t remember the last time she had allowed herself to let her walls down this much for someone, but Miroku had broken through all her defenses so quickly and easily. She trusted him, felt safe opening up to him in ways she hadn’t imagined she ever would. 

“I understand. And I’m sorry you had to go through that. You don’t have to tell me about it if you don’t want to.” Miroku told her gently, allowing her the choice to either open up or keep it to herself. She surprised him by telling him exactly what had happened, and it was even worse than what Kagome had said. The asshole had seen the scar on her back, along with her other ones, and ridiculed her the entire time he was inside her, bringing her to tears. She was clearly uncomfortable recounting the story, almost ashamed. It made Miroku livid. 

"I was young and stupid." She said, like that explained everything.

“You didn’t deserve that, and he didn’t deserve you. You’re beautiful, Sango.”

“You haven’t even seen the scar.” She protested.

“It doesn’t matter. No scar could ever make you unattractive in my eyes or make me not want you.” Miroku responded without hesitation.

Sango wrapped her arms back around him and rested her head on his shoulder, saying nothing. He hadn’t even said the words, not yet, but still she felt so loved in that moment. Then Miroku shifted and she gave a small yelp of surprise as he pulled her onto his lap. She raised her head to look at him and their faces were so close she could almost taste his breath as she became acutely aware of all the places her body was pressed up against his. She could feel his body heat seeping into her and she wanted to press herself closer to him, wanted to curl up and bask in that warmth.

“So does this mean I can call you my girlfriend, now?” Miroku asked with a lopsided grin.

“Yes, I guess it does.” Sango shyly agreed, giving a smile in return.

“Excellent. Please don’t slap me.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m going to kiss you, now.”

He leaned forward and captured her lips with his, cupping the back of her head with one hand while the other caressed her shoulders before moving south, stopping at the small of her back. Sango leaned into the kiss, keeping one hand on his shoulder and burying the other one in his hair, anchoring herself to him. His lips were so soft against hers and she wanted more. She kissed him back hungrily, allowing herself to take what she had wanted for weeks. 

Miroku was momentarily surprised at her enthusiasm but it only incited his own need for her. God, he wanted her so much. Loved her so much. He tasted her and her lips were sweet like cherries. She parted them for him and he needed no further encouragement, taking what she was freely offering. The hand on her back slipped lower to cup her ass, giving a soft squeeze, and before she could stop herself Sango let out a small moan. They both froze, breaking apart and breathing heavily. Sango’s eyes were wide as if she couldn’t believe the sound that had just escaped her mouth, her cheeks flushed. Whether from embarrassment or passion, he couldn’t tell.

“I, uhm…I suppose we should stop.” Sango said with lips swollen by his kisses. She licked them and he followed the movement of her tongue with his eyes before meeting her gaze again. Her chocolate eyes were full of undisguised longing and her cheeks pinked further. Definitely blushing, he decided.

“That’s probably a good idea. Much more of this and I’ll have you on the floor.” Miroku agreed, trying to make a joke out of it, but it was impossible to hide the want in his voice. “Sango, I haven't said this yet, but I love you. Truly, madly, deeply, I am in love with you, and I can’t imagine ever wanting any other woman but you ever again.”

“Miroku…” Sango said his name and it was almost a sigh of content.

“Don’t worry, we’ll stick to just kissing, for now. I’ll wait until you’re comfortable for more. You’re worth the wait.” Miroku told her, then his smile turned into a smirk as his eyes took on a mischievous gleam. “In the meantime there are other, albeit less pleasurable, ways of satisfying myself. And I’ll be thinking about you every single time.” He winked.

Sango’s face turned tomato red and she sputtered. He laughed at her reaction.

“You’re so cute.”

“You didn't have to be so--so--so... _honest_!! What the hell!!”

“Would you prefer I think about someone else, then?”

“No!!!” Her denial was immediate. He laughed some more and gave her another quick kiss.

“Then I don’t see the problem.”

She smacked his shoulder. He was so impossible. And perverted. But now he was _hers_. And that thought pleased her.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We start the chapter with some light fluff before delving back into the plot where many things are learned and many things revealed after a visit to Lady Kaede at the Shikon Shrine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to lavendertwilight89 for being an awesome beta, and to hnnwnchstr for being my hype woman <3 The encouragement of you two ladies is always appreciated and always helps when I'm feeling stuck.
> 
> And of course, I love comments! Thank you to everyone who has been reading this story thus far and enjoying it, and thank you to everyone who has left comments. I love hearing what people think~

After some phone calls they had all decided they would be making the out-of-town trip to the Shikon Shrine that coming weekend; five days hence. In the meantime they would all rest up and continue to focus on their recovery from the fight with Ayaka. Ordinarily the thought of all this sitting around would have driven Sango crazy-- she was a woman of action, after all-- but after solidifying her relationship with Miroku she found she didn’t mind the thought of waiting so much. She was enjoying the alone time with him, which isn’t something she had ever thought she would say.

One of those phone calls was to her brother, Kohaku, asking him to take over all her jobs until further notice, and explaining in detail the situation she was in, the foe they were chasing, and her current injuries. She had told her family before that she was working with Kagome and a couple others to solve this mystery and hunt down the person responsible but she hadn’t really elaborated on it until now. Then he had heard Miroku’s voice in the background, which of course had started a whole _other_ round of questions into her personal life. Kohaku had agreed to help her, provided she come to the main slayer residence and introduce Miroku to them all. _Soon_. Wonderful.

To be honest, that had been the main reason she had avoided going to the slayers in person for the last month; she didn’t want to have to explain Miroku and deal with all the well-intentioned remarks of her family and the other slayers. Now that he was her _boyfriend_ (that word still felt so weird to her) there was no reason to evade her family. 

They spent the rest of the day on the couch, her curled up against him and his arm wrapped around her, watching a show on Netflix. Sango had picked out Supernatural, one of her favorite shows, after Miroku had said he had never seen it before. He claimed he had enough “supernatural” experiences in his day-to-day life but Sango had insisted, and he, of course, couldn’t deny her. As it turned out, it was a good choice. The show was witty and smart, not to mention very entertaining and funny; he and Sango discussed how accurate to real life it actually was and all the things they had gotten wrong. When it got late enough and it was time to go to bed, Miroku was expecting to sleep on the couch again when Sango spoke.

“Uhm, Miroku?”

“Yes?”

“...You, uhm, if you’re okay with it I, uhm, I don’t mind sleeping together. I feel bad that you always take the couch, and well, we’re a couple now so…” Sango said, blushing in spite of herself. He was quiet for a long moment and she began to second guess herself, wondering if maybe she shouldn’t have suggested something so bold so soon. In reality, Miroku had to take a second to process her request and make sure he had heard her correctly. He was tempted to ask her if he was dreaming but didn't want to get smacked again.

“Sleep together?” Miroku repeated, speaking finally. “Are you sure?”

“Just sleep! Nothing else.” Sango clarified.

"I know that's what you meant." Miroku said, trying not to grin. He was positively ecstatic. "And I would be thrilled to sleep beside you, but I don't want to make you uncomfortable."

"Why would you make me uncomfortable?" Sango asked, confused.

"Because I may not be able to control the way my body responds."

 _Oh._ Sango blushed crimson at that but after a few moments of silence she replied, "Th-that's fine. I don't mind, if you don't. But again, only sleeping!"

“As my lady wishes.” Miroku grinned, unable to contain his eagerness. He leaned forward and gave her a kiss. “Alright, I’ll wait out here while you go get changed. Unless, of course, you’ve changed your mind about stripping in front of me?”

“Don’t push your luck.” Sango replied. Rolling her eyes, she shuffled off to get ready for bed. While she did that Miroku stripped out of his jeans and shirt, changing into his own sweatpants, forgoing the t-shirt; he respected Sango’s decision to wait for anything more physical, but that didn't mean he was going to make it easy on her. He waited a few minutes before knocking on his bedroom door and heard a quiet, “Come in.”

All the lights were off except for the one on the nightstand and Sango was already in bed, sitting up. She looked a little anxious, or maybe she was just shy. She glanced up at his entrance and her eyes widened as she stared. He smirked and couldn’t resist making a comment.

“Like what you see?”

She blushed, as he expected, but what he hadn’t expected was the way her eyes roved over his bare chest before resting on his face again.

“Maybe.” She replied with a small smile. Then her voice turned dry. “Why aren’t you wearing a shirt?”

“I don’t generally like to sleep with one on. Is that a problem?”

“No.” She cleared her throat nervously then patted the bed beside her. “Well, come on. Get in.”

Miroku needed no further encouragement, taking the left side as Sango had already claimed the right. She was being much more assertive about this than he had been anticipating, which was a pleasant surprise. And God, the way she had looked him over had set his body aflame with desire for her.

“You don’t mind me taking this side of the bed, do you?” She asked, turning to face him.

“Not at all. Any side is fine as long as I’m sleeping by _your_ side.” He winked at her and she rolled her eyes.

“You know, those one-liners aren’t necessary anymore.” Sango said, giving his chest a small push. He chuckled a little bit.

“Maybe not, but I enjoy your reactions.”

“You mean the eye-rolling and exasperation?”

“You say that, but I suspect you secretly delight in hearing them.”

“Maybe a little bit.” Sango admitted. Then she looked at where her hand still rested on his chest and lightly traced a finger across his collarbone, stopping at the place where he had gotten injured in the fight with Ayaka and her mirrors. She moved her hand down to gently rest over it and felt the urge to kiss him there.

“You know, if you keep looking at me like that, and touching me like that, I can’t be held responsible for ravishing you right here in this bed.” Miroku said, his voice low.

“S-sorry!” 

Sango hastily removed her hand, looking away and suddenly embarrassed. Miroku took hold of the hand she had withdrawn and used his other hand to turn her face back towards him, pulling her into another kiss. His lips moved against hers, long and deep and slow, before breaking the contact.

“It’s okay.” He told her, smiling at her softly. “But we should probably go to sleep now, unless you want something more to happen here.”

“We should sleep. Sleep is good.” Sango agreed quickly, her body warmed all over from his kiss and the way he was looking at her. She didn't know if she would ever get over the way he kissed her.

Turning out the light, they both laid down and Sango closed her eyes, shifting onto her side. She had acted calm about it but her heart was pounding. _‘We’re just sleeping. It’s only sleep. It’s not a big deal.’_ she silently told herself, but it felt like a big deal to her. It also felt right. She loved him, trusted him...why shouldn’t they sleep together in the same bed? Eventually, her heart rate slowed and she was able to drift off into slumber.

~☆~

The next five days passed quickly and the weekend arrived before they knew it. By then Sango’s leg was completely healed and while the wound in her chest ached, it didn’t bother her too bad unless she pressed hard against it, like a lingering bruise. In another week or so it should be totally gone save for a scar, along with Miroku’s own injury. She knew because he continued to sleep shirtless, giving her an eyeful of his perfect torso every night. And while she didn’t tell him as much, she very much appreciated the view.

She had made sure to keep in touch with Kagome, who’s own wounds were also on the mend. Sango had shared the news that she and Miroku were officially dating and Kagome had been over the moon with excitement for her. It was almost comical. Unfortunately, she was still experiencing headaches but aside from that most of the side effects from her concussion were easing in their severity. Thankfully there had also been no sign of Tsubaki or any of her runes, allowing everyone to convalesce in peace.

At first they had discussed taking a train to see Lady Kaede, but in the end decided to drive to the Shikon Shrine by car. The main reason being it was slightly cheaper after factoring in the cost of gas and, more importantly, Inuyasha’s aversion to large crowds of people, making the train a no go. It also had the added benefit of making it easier to cart their weapons around just in case the need arose. So on the morning of departure, Miroku and Sango packed up his car and headed over to the Higurashi Shrine to pick up Kagome and Inuyasha for the long trip.

Sango hadn’t pried too much into her best friend’s love life over the last few days, but she assumed things had been going well considering she hadn’t received another tear-filled phone call. Another sign was the bright smile the priestess was wearing, positively radiating happiness, as they pulled up. Inuyasha wasn’t looking too thrilled but Sango had a feeling that was more to do with the prospect of being stuck in a car for four hours.

Exchanging greetings, Kagome and Inuyasha hopped into the backseat, Kagome sitting behind Sango, and Inuyasha claiming the other spot. Taking off, they were mostly quiet except for Sango and Kagome chatting a bit. Inuyasha just stared out the window with his arms crossed, his occasionally twitching ears the only sign that he was listening. Sango mentioned how she had gotten Miroku into watching Supernatural and they all excitedly talked about it for a little while. After about thirty minutes had passed Kagome leaned over and poked the back of Miroku’s seat.

“Hey. Can we get some music in here?”

“Of course.” He replied, turning on the Bluetooth in the car and opening his phone’s music folder. The song that played through the car's speakers made Sango stop talking and stare at him, unamused; Into You by Ariana Grande. It seemed he wasn’t done teasing her about it yet.

“Really?” She asked in a flat voice and he let out a laugh, taking his eyes from the road for a moment to spare her a wink.

“I’ve decided this is our song now. You confessed so many things to me while it played.”

“I’m going to run your head _into_ a wall next chance I get.”

Inuyasha snickered and Kagome burst into laughter. 

“So violent. Last night you weren’t so--”

“So help me if you finish that sentence! You are _so_ lucky you’re driving right now or I’d push you out of this car.”

“Push him out anyway.” Inuyasha goaded her.

“Now I _have_ to know what happened last night.” Kagome input, her interest piqued.

“Nothing! We just slept, that’s _all_.” Sango shot a glare Miroku’s way, as if daring him to contradict her.

“‘We?’” Inuyasha repeated, turning a leer on her. “And _just_ sleep? With this lecher? I find that hard to believe.” 

“I’ve been a total gentleman, I swear.” Miroku defended himself, letting go of the steering wheel with one hand to raise it in supplication.

“Yes ‘we’, as in together; he’s my boyfriend now. Is that so weird?” Sango shot back, blushing.

“I love when you call me yours.” Miroku commented, grinning at how worked up she was getting. She was so damn cute when she got flustered. It was part of the reason he loved to tease her so much.

“I really wish I wasn’t here right now.” Sango muttered, rubbing at her temples.

“Yeah, you and me both.” Inuyasha groused.

“Oh come on, you don’t mean that.” Kagome said, looping an arm through his and leaning into his side. She looked up at him sweetly from where her head rested on his shoulder and he blushed. “I mean, I’m here.”

“I just don’t like bein’ cramped in a car like this for so long.” Inuyasha hedged. “It’s nothin’ to do with you. You know that.”

Kagome giggled in happiness and raised herself up to place a quick kiss on Inuyasha’s cheek.

“It appears Sango and I aren’t the only ones... _strengthening_ our bond.” Miroku remarked with a smirk.

“Keh, don’t lump me in with yourself. I’m not a pervert like you. We haven’t done anything.” Inuyasha protested.

“I’m _telling_ you it was just--” Sango started.

“Inuyasha just kisses me. Unfortunately.” Kagome muttered, losing her cheery expression. Okay, and maybe a little heavy petting, she silently admitted. But anytime it got too heated he always pulled away, much to her disappointment; it was _frustrating_ to say the least. She realized they had only been “together” for about a week now, and maybe it was moving too fast, but she felt ready. 

There was also no one else she had ever wanted to be with… she couldn't possibly see herself wanting to be with someone else ever again. Inuyasha was her one and only; but he refused to go further for fear of risking something happening to her powers. Not when they were in the middle of pursuing Tsubaki and fighting all her minions. And while she believed him, it was hard not to get insecure about it.

“‘Unfortunately?’” It was Sango’s turn to twist around and pin a look on the half demon.

“Look, can we not discuss this again in front of everyone?” Inuyasha half snapped, half pleaded, his ears flattening against his head.

“You never want to discuss it when we’re alone, either.” Kagome returned sourly.

“I’m _not_ going to be the one responsible for you losing your powers!”

“That’s _not_ going to happen!”

“What do you mean ‘lose your powers’”? Miroku and Sango asked at the same time.

“He thinks if we mate I’ll lose my spiritual energy, or they’ll be corrupted, or something _ridiculous_ because he’s part demon. Which I’ve told him is _crazy_!” Kagome replied.

“Hmm.” Miroku mused. “True, a demon mating with a priestess is rather unheard of, and I can understand your concerns, Inuyasha. But perhaps you are being overly cautious. I don’t think fate would decree her as your mate if--”

“Can we just drop it?!” Inuyasha burst out and everyone fell silent, the only sound the music still playing. Mercifully, everyone respected his need for a topic change. Or maybe it was the way he had borderline snarled the words. Whatever. He had no idea how the mixing of the youki in the mating mark was going to mix with Kagome’s reiki; two opposing energies so very different in nature. True, he could try to have sex with her without actually marking her, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to control his instincts if it got that far. If he went all the way the urge would become too much to resist. Fuck, he could barely control himself when they would lay on her bed and share heated kisses. Her hands were never idle and damn--all he wanted was to taste her. He knew he hurt her when he would pull away but he had to control his inner demon. It would take her without hesitation, he would mark her as his; and he wasn’t willing to risk that even if she was. Not yet.

The rest of the car ride passed uneventfully but there was slight tension from the heated conversation about Kagome and Inuyasha’s intimacy. When they finally pulled up to the Shikon Shrine, they were all dying to get the hell out of the car. They had stopped once at a rest stop but otherwise it had been a straight shot there. Lady Kaede was standing outside, waiting for them; that morning Miroku had called the shrine and Lady Kaede had graciously accepted his request for a visit and the reason for it. He hadn’t touched too much on the subject while on the phone with her, figuring it could all wait until they arrived. And while it was true he could have probably gotten all the information from her over the phone some things were better done in person. 

Everyone exited the car, stretching their legs before approaching the entrance to the shrine, where Kaede was patiently waiting for them. She had long gray hair pulled back into a low ponytail and her face was lined with age, her back slightly stooped. A black eye-patch covered her right eye and she was dressed in traditional priestess garbs. Sango felt underdressed in her own black jeans and simple turquoise sweater.

“Welcome. I am Kaede Nakamura, the current Head Priestess of this humble shrine. Please, come in.” Kaede greeted them, bowing slightly before turning to lead the way. They all bowed except Inuyasha and followed her past the torii gate and up the steps to the shrine itself. Upon entering, they all removed their shoes, and Kaede slid the shoji door to the washitsu aside, stepping inside and beckoning them all to come in, then slid the door closed behind them.

“I receive all visitors in this room here. I hope it is acceptable. Please, make yourselves comfortable for I am sure we have much to discuss.” Kaede spoke as her eyes lingered slightly on Kagome.

“This is perfect. Thank you again for agreeing to see us. You are most gracious.” Miroku politely inclined his head as they all arranged themselves around the chabudai in the middle of the room, settling themselves on the tatami flooring and making introductions.

“Yes, we really appreciate it. Anything you can tell us would be a huge help.” Kagome agreed.

“It is nice to see that some of the younger generation still has their manners.” Kaede smiled at them. “Now, what do you wish to know? The young monk here told me you seek information on Tsubaki."

They all began to tell her of the happenings in Tokyo thus far and what they currently knew about Tsubaki and her methods, which wasn't much at all. When they were finished Kaede was silent in thought for a moment.

"It is as I feared." Kaede sighed, her voice solemn. 

"What does that mean?" Sango asked.

"First, allow me to tell you the history this shrine has with Tsubaki. It began years ago, when we first accepted her as a priestess at this shrine. At first, she appeared to act as a proper priestess should; she pursued her studies and duties diligently. She progressed very quickly in her training and was quite gifted, gaining the respect of many, including that of my elder sister, Kikyo.

“After some time it became clear she possessed a heart too selfish and vain; it began to corrupt her. Her powers were almost a match for my sister’s and Tsubaki soon began to see Kikyo as a rival. Kikyo was very beautiful and very powerful and Tsubaki became jealous of all the attention and praise that she received. In fact, it was even spoken that Kikyo was the most powerful priestess to live since the days of Lady Midoriko.”

“Lady Midoriko? You mean the warrior priestess who lived in the feudal era?” Kagome asked, unable to keep from interrupting. Midoriko was practically a legend. If this was true then Kikyo had indeed been a force of nature.

“Yes, exactly so. My eyes are not what they used to be, but it is uncanny, for you bear a striking resemblance to my late sister, and I do hope you will forgive me for such an observation. While my powers are quite dulled, I would say too that your own powers and the strength of your soul are in the same league as those of Kikyo’s.” Kaede replied and Kagome fell quiet, unsure what to make of that revelation.

“Wow, Kagome. I knew you were strong, but that’s incredible.” Sango commented and Kagome flushed slightly under the praise and scrutiny.

“I-if it’s true.” She demurred, but she also wondered at the truth of the words. She had always been told she was extraordinarily powerful and had come into her powers so strongly at such an early age, and she wondered now if it had been some heavenly intervention in preparation for this impending fight with Tsubaki. Or maybe it was all a coincidence. There was no way to really tell.

“And then what?” Inuyasha asked, growing impatient and wanting to take the attention off of Kagome when it was clear she was uncomfortable at Kaede’s assertion.

“Unknown to all of us, Tsubaki began to dabble in other darker magics. Eventually, Tsubaki’s jealousy grew to be too much and she attempted to curse Kikyo with a shikigami. The curse was two-fold-- marr her beauty and take her powers. My sister had suspected she would try something and thus thwarted her attack and Tsubaki was banished from the shrine, having revealed herself as a dark priestess. But it, unfortunately, did not end there.

“Tsubaki’s ambition knew no bounds and she worked tirelessly to elevate herself in the eyes of the evil demons. She craved power, eternal life, and eternal beauty; she felt it was her due. And perhaps most of all, revenge against my sister. For in deflecting Tsubaki’s attack, Kikyo had turned her own curse back upon her. Tsubaki escaped with her powers but Kikyo’s deflection had caused it to enter back through her right eye, leaving behind an ugly mark. 

“As I’m sure you know, most demons have learned to co-exist with humanity but not all were content with such a life. They missed the blood, the fear, the recognition of their terrible power and their ability to lord it over those weaker than they. After being shunned, Tsubaki sought out the help of these demons, making deals and contracts, and attracted the attention of one of the most powerful demons to live. He was known as Naraku and was a foul being, ruthless and depraved. Despite being only a half demon he was more powerful than many full-blooded youkai and his name became one to fear. 

“They began to work together, combining their objectives into a single goal. Naraku would give her all that she desired so long as she continued to lend him her power in his conquest. You see, Naraku detested the human part of him and thus hated humans, viewing them as weak and lesser. Tsubaki seemed to be the only exception to this, for while they had started as uncertain allies they grew close, and Naraku eventually took her as his mate.”

“Naraku mated with Tsubaki? She was his _mate_?” Miroku interrupted, stealing a glance Inuyasha’s way. His friend’s golden gaze had sharpened at the words and he knew Kagome had to be also listening intently. 

“Yes. I do not know if I would call it love, for they were both too removed from anything resembling human emotion for something so pure. Tsubaki had even once told my sister that a priestess’ true power came alive when they abandoned all human feelings. What they had together was dark and twisted, a perversion of nature, almost a co-dependency. She and Naraku had a fierce loyalty and devotion to each other, and perhaps to them it _was_ love. 

“Her powers only grew more tainted and she began to rely more heavily on the darker arts, becoming adept at many magics, mirror magic and illusions among them, although she was not limited to these only. Her abilities spanned the full spectrum, which is part of what made her a truly frightening opponent.”

“Are you saying mating with him corrupted her powers?” Inuyasha demanded.

“She was already corrupted; her heart was made impure by her greed and vanity.” Kaede answered. “I cannot speak for how the mating affected her spiritual powers, but it appears she is still formidable even now. How much of that is her spiritual powers versus how much is black magic I do not know. For she now possesses a tome of the blackest spells known to exist, if what you say is true.”

“You called their mating a perversion of nature. Are you saying that just because she was a priestess and he was a half demon?” Kagome questioned, unable to keep the hostility from her voice. 

“No, young one. The both of them were so evil, their souls so black, that to call their mating anything other than a perversion of nature would not do justice to the chaos they created in the wake of their joining. It is also unclear if they were bonded by fate or by their dark desires.” Kaede told her and Kagome relaxed a bit at that.

“What was Naraku’s ultimate goal?” Sango asked, unable to contain her curiosity. She knew Kaede was probably not done recounting her tale and would get to it eventually but she had to know. She had heard whispered mentions of a demon named Naraku from her grandparents when she was young but hadn’t realized he had had any association with Tsubaki. He had decimated half their household fifty years ago in his attempt to rise to power but she didn’t know much beyond that. The slayers had tried to put an end to him and had suffered unimaginable losses for their troubles. It was understandably a sore subject for her family to talk about, plus demon slayers in general just weren’t very open with their feelings, preferring to act rather than talk.

“Patience, young slayer.” Kaede gently admonished and Sango blushed a little in embarrassment. “All in due time. I was just getting to it.

“As I had said, Naraku despised humans. He chafed at having to hide his true nature from the world, feeling that humans were so far beneath him, that they should know their place. He desired to out demonkind to all of humanity, so as to subject them to his rule, his evil whims, as he thought was only right. He was so powerful and humans so weak; why shouldn’t he be able to do as he pleased? And with Tsubaki’s help and encouragement he became almost unstoppable.

“A long string of murders began, and the Japanese police attributed it to a serial killer. Such a thing was not unheard of in this country, but still uncommon enough to cause major concern. Of course, those responsible for these murders were none other than Naraku and Tsubaki. He killed when it suited him, whether to further his own agenda or to punish those who had displeased him, and she used the kills as sacrifices for her own dark magics.

“Kikyo was the only one with the strength, the _power_ to put an end to them. She plotted and bided her time until at last she took them both on, determined to end their reign of terror before it escalated into something that could no longer be hidden from ordinary folk. She fought for three days and nights before finally vanquishing Naraku and purifying his evil from this world. Despite my own modest abilities, I assisted her and almost captured Tsubaki, but she managed to escape, taking my right eye as revenge for what Kikyo had done to hers.

“In the aftermath, Kikyo was so grievously wounded that she barely clung to life. She held on for a day before succumbing to her injuries and passing on into the next life. I would say that was the end of it but now it seems Tsubaki has resurfaced all these years later.”

Everyone was quiet, thinking over what they had just learned. There was so much to process, to consider, with so many revelations out in the open now. There was one thing Kaede had still not touched upon, however, and Miroku was quick to point it out. 

“That is certainly much more than we had known before, and I thank you for taking the time to recount what must no doubt be a painful tale for you to tell. I realize this was many years ago, but still, you have my condolences for losing your sister in such a way.” Miroku started. “However, before you began this story you said ‘it is as I feared.’ What do you think is happening, here? Please, tell us.”

“Ah, yes. My apologies, this old mind is prone to bouts of forgetfulness. And I thank you, but as you said, it was many years ago. That particular wound of the heart no longer aches as it once did.” Kaede replied, bowing her head graciously. “Tsubaki and Naraku were mates. It is not common knowledge among those with such holy powers but when a demon takes a mate their lifespans become intertwined. Although, I’m sure you were already aware of such a thing, slayer.” 

Sango gave a nod of acknowledgement and waited for Kaede to continue.

“Upon his death, Tsubaki should have perished soon after, as her mate was no longer of this world. However, she has clearly used her dark magic to preserve her life, and now that she has that evil spell book stolen from your shrine in her possession it seems she has put another plan of hers into motion.” This last part she directed towards Kagome, who also gave a nod of acknowledgement. “There are many forbidden spells and rituals contained in the pages of that book, and among them is a spell for the resurrection of a demon. Even a half demon such as Naraku was.”

“What?” Sango breathed out. “Are...are you saying Tsubaki is trying to resurrect her dead lover?”

“I cannot speak with absolute certainty, but based on all the other information you have given me, I would say so. The harvesting of souls, and of spiritual powers...these are all important components for a magic as vile and taboo as this. There are few other things she could be trying to accomplish.”

“You said Kikyo purified Naraku, which means his body turned to ash. There’s nothing to put his soul back into.” Kagome pointed out. “Or are you saying she’s not just bringing his soul back, but his _body_ too? Recreating it?”

“Yes.” Kaede replied simply.

To accomplish something so huge and grand in scale...undertaking a feat such as that would certainly require an extraordinary amount of power. It would definitely offer a plausible explanation as to what Tsubaki’s endgame was with all of this. And if it was true, they had no choice but to stop her, for the alternative was unthinkable.

“All the souls she’s taken, do you have any idea what she’s doing with them?” Kagome asked. “I know she’s apparently using them as part of this incredibly difficult and complicated spell to resurrect Naraku, but where are they being kept? Or have they already been sacrificed? The priestesses, priests, and monks that have fallen victim to her are still alive, but they exist in a solely comatose state, their souls completely gone, their reiki completely drained. They’re basically living husks.”

“Again, I cannot speak with any certainty, but she has most likely trapped them somewhere until she must use them, waiting until she accumulates the necessary amount of spiritual power and number of souls needed. Perhaps a mirror, considering her affinity for mirror magic. Once she has gathered everything that is required, the souls will be used as a sacrifice in payment for the resurrection of his own evil soul and they will all likely die. 

“Their spiritual powers will be used to recreate his body. As you know, reiki is the opposite to youki, and in nature they act as a balance to each other. The reiki will likely represent the human component to his body, and I am sure Tsubaki has taken many demon souls, along with their youki, for the demon element. There were plenty of demons who did not align with her and Naraku’s vision, and they are no doubt among her victims. You just have not heard because you are human, and as such are only concerned with human matters. Aside from you, of course.”

That last sentence was directed to Inuyasha, who scowled.

“I try to mind my own business and don’t get out much.” He said. “My brother would probably know more, though. Also, how do you--”

“Wait!” Kagome spoke up, staring at him. “Hold up, pause. Can we backtrack for a second to the part where you said ‘ _brother_ ’? You have a brother??”

“Yeah. We don’t get along.” Inuyasha scoffed.

“You have a brother and you never told me!” Kagome exclaimed. “What’s his name, where is he, and why haven’t you bothered to mention that little detail?”

Sango and Miroku exchanged a glance. Sango raised her eyebrows in a silent question and Miroku shrugged, nodding. Miroku knew Inuyasha had a brother but they weren’t close by any means; they typically tended to act as if the other didn’t exist. It was an arrangement that suited the both of them just fine.

“Because it doesn’t matter!” Inuyasha returned, torn between annoyance and not wanting to upset Kagome. He honestly didn’t see what the big deal was. “His name’s Sesshomaru. He’s mated to a powerful wind demon and lives in a nice big house with his mate and kids. We don’t keep in touch. Kagura aint so bad but he’s a fucking dick. He’s a full demon and I’m not, and he reminds me of that every fucking chance he gets.”

“Sesshomaru? As in the Lord of the West?” Sango cut in. As a demon slayer she had definitely heard of him; he was basically the ruling lord of all demonkind in Japan. While the daiyoukai was not particularly fond of humans, he didn’t seem to totally hate them either, nor did he cause problems. Furthermore, he seemed to keep most of the demon population in line and so the slayers didn’t bother him. Sango had never seen Sesshomaru in person, but now that she thought about it, she _had_ heard he was a dog demon.

“Yeah, the very same bastard. Again, doesn’t fucking matter.” Inuyasha brushed it off like it was nothing, and to him it probably was. Then he pinned his bright amber gaze upon the older priestess. “Like I was about to ask-- how do you know so much about these spells? I wouldn’t think a pure priestess like you would be so knowledgeable about such things. Plus there were only supposed to be two copies and your shrine ain't one of the two chosen to protect them.”

“For a time, one of the books was in the possession of our shrine. When my sister grew into her power and proved herself strong and worthy, it was presented to us at the Shikon Shrine to guard and protect. After her death I decided to hand it off to someone better suited to keeping it safe. My sister died before she could marry and have children and my own spiritual powers are rather modest. It seemed the wisest course of action, and so I inquired if those at the Takagi Temple would take over its protection. Kazuma graciously accepted such a task. After his passing, the duty fell to his brother, your uncle, Mushin.”

Kaede addressed the last sentence to Miroku, who was looking at the old priestess intently. Sango looked from him to her, and realized she had just learned two things about Miroku in the last ten seconds. The name of his father, and his own last name. She didn’t know why, but in the last month it had never come up. He probably didn’t even know her own last name either, something she resolved to fix soon. Now that they were dating it was kind of embarrassing not knowing such things about your partner.

“So that’s how it came into our possession. Very interesting.” Miroku said, and his voice was calm but he had tensed slightly beside her. Sango wondered why. Was it the mention of his father?

“Indeed.” Kaede said. “Do you have any other questions to ask of this old priestess?”

They all shook their heads and Kaede inclined her head.

“I want to thank you again.” Miroku spoke. “This has been very enlightening.”

“Yes, thank you so much.” Sango added. “Thanks to you we all have a better understanding of Tsubaki and, more importantly, an idea of what her ultimate end goal is, something that explains everything that has been happening. You’ve been extremely helpful. I realize there is some distance between us but regardless, should you ever need to, please do not hesitate to call upon the slayers of Tokyo. We will assist you free of charge. It’s the least I can do.”

“Thank you, young one. Your offer is most appreciated.” Kaede smiled at her, rising to her feet and everyone else followed suit. “I wish you all the best of luck in defeating her. I hope you succeed where my sister and I failed.”

“Thank you.” Kagome said, bowing slightly. “We will take care of Tsubaki. I swear it. Between the four of us, we will take her down.”

“You must keep her from completing the spell at all costs. If Naraku were to rise again, I fear what sacrifices would be required to overcome him a second time. The first time my sister Kikyo paid with her life. I do not wish for any more lives to be lost to that demon. He has taken enough already.” Kaede told them, her voice solemn.

They left the shrine and, after looking at the time which read seven-thirty in the evening, decided to just stay at a hotel and travel back to Tokyo in the morning. They had all brought a change of clothes just in case. Arriving at the inn, they booked two rooms and Kagome turned to Sango, clearly expecting to room with her best friend. Sango took her friend’s arm and looked at her, cutting off her chatter.

“Kagome, if you really want to room with me I will, but I, uhm, I just thought since you’re dating Inuyasha now and I’m with Miroku that we would stay with our b-boyfriends.” Sango told her, stumbling a little over the word “boyfriend.” It still felt strange to her, probably because she had gone most of her life without one. Even in the two instances she had had one, it hadn’t lasted long. Her high school relationship had been the longest one at eight months.

Kagome looked at her with wide eyes at first, as if taken off guard. Then her gaze turned calculating and Sango knew her friend well enough to know she was thinking of all the ways she could spin this to her advantage with Inuyasha. 

“Okay.” She said simply, accepting it easily.

Sango relaxed at her agreement, breathing a silent sigh of relief. She didn’t want to say it but in the span of five days she had gotten used to sleeping beside Miroku. The sound of his breathing, the heat of his body right next to hers, and the way their bodies would sometimes inevitably entwine in the middle of the night were all things she had come to enjoy, take comfort in, and even look forward to. He was careful not to touch her when they laid down at night aside from a goodnight kiss, but she always awoke with him spooning her, an arm draped lazily over her side pulling her against him, and she felt so indescribably happy and loved in those moments. 

There had been a few awkward moments where she had felt him grow aroused behind her and he had apologized to her, not at all embarrassed but also not wanting to make her feel uncomfortable. To be honest, the only reason she had ever felt uncomfortable during those times was because it had incited her own need for him, wetness beginning to pool between her legs. He had excused himself to “take care of business” as he put it, with a wink, and she had laid there blushing and knowing exactly what he had gone to do. She was unable to keep herself from imagining it, which only made her grow wetter for him.

Her body was clearly ready to take that next step, and honestly she was considering telling him yes soon, but the insecurities over her scars along with her general difficulty at being open about her feelings and voicing her wants were holding her back. Still, she was reaching the point of giving in to her desires.

Blinking, Sango brought her attention back to the present and noticed Miroku looking at her intently with a small smile. She returned it and walked to his side, looping her right arm around his left one and leaning into his side. He kissed the top of her head affectionately.

“What?!” Inuyasha’s exclamation caught the attention of them both.

“Please don’t make a scene in the middle of the hotel lobby.” Kagome said through gritted teeth. Some of the other people around them had stopped to give them curious looks.

“I am not sharing a room with you.” Inuyasha responded, almost desperately, lowering his voice so that only his companions could hear him.

“Am I really so terrible that you can’t even share a room with me?” Kagome practically hissed.

“Of course not!” Inuyasha argued back. “But to stay the night in the same room as you, I-- I--”

“You what? Might actually _want_ me? God forbid.” Kagome’s voice was scathing.

“Would you stop it! You _know_ why!” 

“Yeah, and I don’t care.”

“I know, which is why I have to care _for_ you!”

“That’s not necessary. We’re rooming together. Okay??”

“Miroku! Tell Kagome to room with Sango.”

“Not happening, Inuyasha. I’m sleeping with Sango. Don’t be a cockblock.” Miroku replied. That last part earned him a glare and elbow in the side from Sango, which he gamely ignored.

Unhappy but also outnumbered, Inuyasha gave up on arguing his case and they all took the elevator to their floor. They had gotten rooms right across from each other to make it easier to seek their friends out in the event anything happened. Kagome had taken the opportunity to grab Inuyasha’s hand in the elevator and they walked hand-in-hand to their room. 

“See you in the morning! Ten o’clock, right?” Kagome called to Sango and Miroku as they were about to enter their own room.

“Yes. Good night!” Sango affirmed and they each entered their own rooms.

Kagome shut the door behind her and Inuyasha then proceeded to take in the room. There were two double-beds along with a small TV, a nightstand in between the beds, and a table off to the side. Pretty standard accommodations for a hotel room.

She turned on the TV to pass the time and found a channel marathoning episodes of a popular drama. Eventually, she got ready for bed and then during a commercial break, she turned to Inuyasha who had, of course, settled on the opposite bed.

“Are we going to talk about it yet?”

“Talk about what?”

“You _know_ what. Mating. Inuyasha, I want you to make me yours. At this point I feel like I’m begging you, and I don’t like it.”

“Then stop askin’.”

“Nothing is going to happen to my powers!!” She shouted, and her insecurities took control. She had gone through her whole life wanting no one. No one ever appealed to her; there was never any spark. She had resigned herself to a life of priestesshood. Then she met Inuyasha; strong, courageous, a little rough around the edges but--their banter had become so familiar. Genuine. His actions, while she initially thought they were because of his duty, spoke louder than words. The extra care he gave her, the actual words he did finally express--she couldn’t take the rejection time and time again! 

“If you don’t want me then just say so! You say this mate thing is instinctual, which means you didn’t choose it, so if you don’t really want me then just be honest! You’re still half human so I get it; maybe you don’t feel the same way I do and th-that’s ok. Just--stop stringing me along!”

He faced her and stared at her intensely before turning so his legs draped off the bed before he spoke. “Kagome, are you stupid? Did you forget everything I told you? I _love_ you. I need you. And I don’t say that lightly, okay? I don’t do the mushy stuff. I’ve never said that shit to anyone before. But for you, I’m willing to open my heart and fucking try. 

“Understand one thing right now-- I want you so bad, you couldn’t even fathom it. Every time I kiss you it’s fucking magic. I have to force myself to stop. When your scent changes--fuck everything in me wants to drop you to the bed and forget your honor and mine. I want to not give a damn, but I have to.

“Did you not hear Kaede? Tsubaki mated with Naraku and look at her. She’s so warped and twisted and there’s no telling how much of her spiritual powers survived, and if they did, whether or not they became perverted by Naraku’s own demonic aura.”

“She was already a dark priestess when she met Naraku and mated with him!” Kagome argued. “She still has her powers, however corrupt they became thanks to all the black magic she’s been performing! Kaede even said their coupling was against nature! Ours wouldn’t be if you’re being honest about me being your mate!”

Inuyasha sighed.

“Kagome, the possibility is still too great for me to risk it. Not when we’re in the middle of facing off against Tsubaki and all her fucking minions.”

“Fine.” Kagome let out a shaky breath, getting herself back under control and swiping at the tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks. “Okay. Inuyasha, I love you but _God_ you are so frustrating. But fine. I’ll relent on one condition.”

“What’s that condition?” Inuyasha asked warily.

“Once we defeat Tsubaki, no more excuses. Right now I am a part of this fight and my powers are necessary. Furthermore, I insist on seeing this through. Especially if I’m somehow linked to Kikyo. Maybe it's part of my destiny or maybe it's all a coincidence. But once Tsubaki is no more, I don’t care anymore. Nothing is going to happen to my power; you can worry all you want but I'm certain of it. I am just as certain in my love for you. But on the off chance you’re correct, we will wait until then, but after that-- no more waiting. I want you to mark me as yours, I want to officially become your mate. Please.” She said the last part softly in a pleading voice.

Inuyasha was silent for a moment in contemplation before he nodded, “Alright. If you’re sure. I promise you.” He knelt down in front of her and took her hand in his. “I will protect you with my life. After Tsubaki is defeated, I will claim you as mine and mine alone.”

She blushed from such a proclamation and couldn’t stop the tears that began to flow from overwhelming happiness. He promised her. They were finally going to mate! She couldn’t stop herself as she flung herself at him, wrapping her arms around him and burrowing her head into his neck.

Stammering slightly he relaxed, realizing her tears were from happiness. He wrapped his arms around her small lithe body and pressed his nose into her hair. 

When it came time to sleep Kagome wordlessly crawled into bed beside Inuyasha.

“Wh-what are you doing??” Didn’t she realize what a horrible idea that was?? How he was basically an animal, admitted so just a little while ago?

She merely curled up next to him and wrapped her arms around him, saying simply, “I love you...Please. I promise I’ll control myself. But...I want to sleep beside you. I feel the safest in your arms.”

As much as he knew he shouldn’t, Inuyasha was unable to deny her; especially not when he wanted to have her in his arms as much as she wanted to be in his. He kissed her, slow and passionately, their breath mingling together. Barely able to reign back his demonic half, he reminded himself they were courting. While they were mates and she accepted him, she deserved a chance to see the kind of mate he would be. His inner demon simmered down, accepting the simple touches they gave each other. It would do.

Kagome held true to her word, refraining from immediately brushing her hands freely along his body. She merely stroked his chest and caressed her way to her target; his ears.

He was the one that almost lost himself as he expelled a soothingly happy rumble of pleasure and snaked out his tongue to her previously closed lips. She excitedly allowed him entrance and also explored his own mouth, especially his fangs.

Realizing her scent was starting to spike, he pulled back, growling to himself. He really wanted her. Fuck did he want her. 

When they pulled away Kagome was smiling at him and felt like he could drown in those cinnamon eyes as his raging blood calmed. Tucking her head against his chest, they settled down onto the bed and fell asleep that way.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SMUT!!... with a tiny bit of plot at the end~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to lavendertwilight89 for being my beta and to hnnwnchstr for being my hype girl <3
> 
> I appreciate every single comment, thank you to every who reads this and who has taken the time to tell me what they think! It's very encouraging.

Miroku and Sango entered their own hotel room, both of them amused at the way Inuyasha had been so opposed to rooming with Kagome. Sango wished her best friend luck in convincing the half demon to be more physical with her. Of course, she herself was having difficulty letting more happen with Miroku, although her reluctance stemmed from a totally different reason. And compared to Inuyasha’s reason hers was almost laughable. But insecurities weren’t always rational, and she appreciated Miroku’s patience with her.

“What are you thinking about?” Miroku’s voice broke her out of her thoughts and she looked at where he sat on one of the beds. She dropped her own bag and walked over, settling herself beside him. Funny how she used to want nothing to do with him and now she craved being near him so much.

“Silently wishing Kagome luck with Inuyasha.” She replied, leaning into him and he obligingly wrapped an arm around her and laughed at her words.

“You and me both, my dear Sango.”

"This is going to sound like a silly question, but do you even know my last name?"

"Ishimura." Miroku replied without hesitation.

"But I never even told you." She said as she glanced at him, a little surprised.

"You didn't have to. I was very interested in you, after all, and so I made it a point to know your full name, as well as anything else I could find out."

"Meanwhile I wanted to not like you and tried to ignore everything about you. I obviously didn't do a very good job at that."

"No, much to my personal delight." Miroku chuckled a little bit.

"You're annoyingly persistent."

"But you love me."

"I do." She agreed with a soft smile, resting her head on his shoulder.

They lapsed into a comfortable silence while Sango replayed the conversation they had had with Kaede in her mind. A thought occurred to her and she spoke before she lost her nerve.

“Miroku? Can I ask you what may be a personal question?”

“Of course. What is it?”

“When we were talking with Lady Kaede and she mentioned your father, you acted calm but you got really tense. Did I miss something?”

Miroku sighed but smiled. “It seems you’ve grown to know me quite well. And you didn’t miss anything. I’ve told you before my father died when I was child but I never told you how. After our encounter with Ayaka and her mirrors, it's fresh in my mind again. That’s all.”

Sango waited for him to continue but he didn’t and she twisted to face him. While his face appeared unconcerned he had a strange look in his eyes, almost like guilt or regret. 

“Miroku. What happened?” She asked, taking one of his hands in hers reflexively to comfort him. When he was quiet for another minute she added, “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. I...I'm not always very good with words, but anything you feel, good or bad, you can put it on me. I want you to know that.”

He met her eyes at those words and gave a genuine smile, before leaning in to give her a quick kiss. When they broke apart he spoke.

“I appreciate your concern, Sango. And how can I refuse after such heartfelt words?”

Sango gave his hand a squeeze and waited.

“When I was ten, and growing in my own powers, going through my own training, there was a powerful evil spirit that attacked our temple. Being sure of myself and my skills, I was sure I could help. My father refused, of course. I was just a kid, after all, and had only begun my training a couple years prior; I still had eight years to go to complete it. I was told to stay behind in a room with particularly strong wards against evil and to let the adults handle it.

“Thinking I knew better, I left the safety of the room and tried to hunt it down myself. My ten-year-old self thought if I could do this I would prove myself and not be treated like such a kid, and make my father proud.” Miroku expelled a breath, almost like he was scoffing at his younger self. “Unknown to me, this evil spirit was able to hide its evil aura, making it hard to locate or sense when it was nearby. I was overtaken by it and it possessed me. It was also able to read the minds of those it took control of, and it used this to get close to my father.

“I was awake for all of it, but I was unable to control my own body. And so when my father scolded me for leaving the room and then hugged me in relief that I was okay, the evil spirit drove a knife between his ribs, nicking his heart. My Uncle Mushin had rounded the corner just as it happened and between him and my father they exorcised the evil spirit from me and purified it. But the damage was already done. My father bled out before any help could arrive while I stood there in shock, his blood all over my hands. And that’s how he died. 

"While logically I know I didn’t kill him, I still feel responsible. Part of me still wonders if my father blamed me. If I had only listened...but we can’t go back and undo the past.”

Sango stared at him wide-eyed and slightly horrified then let go of his hand. He sucked in a breath, a small part of him fearing her rejection, as ridiculous as that now was, but then she raised herself onto her knees and leaned forward, wrapping him tightly in her arms, her head resting on top of his. He couldn’t breathe for a second, and wasn’t sure whether that was because of how she had accepted this part of him, how hard she was holding him to her, or the fact that his face was buried in her breasts. After a moment, she released him and pulled away.

“God, Miroku. That’s terrible. I’m so sorry. But you were a kid, and all kids do stupid things. I know your father didn’t blame you for it. He knew it wasn’t really you.”

“And how do you know?” Miroku asked, raising a hand to stroke her cheek. She was so perfect.

“Because I had something similar happen to me. Only I was the one attacked.” Sango answered. “It was when I was sixteen and accompanying my younger brother, Kohaku, on his first mission. He had turned eleven and my father decided it was time for him to be out in the field. We were hunting a demon that placed the people around it under its control, only we didn’t know that until it was too late. 

“Kohaku attacked me with his kusarigama, the blade of the sickle ripping deep into my back. Thankfully, my father and aunt were there, and they exterminated the demon, but I almost died. Kohaku felt horrible about the whole thing and blamed himself, but I never blamed him. He was young, it was his first mission, and it wasn’t really him attacking me. I understood. And because of that, I believe your father understood, too, Miroku.”

For some reason her words helped to alleviate the pressure in his heart and Miroku smiled at her softly. She was right, of course.

“I’m sorry you and your brother went through that.” Miroku told her. “And for some reason, I think I truly believe that now. Thank you for sharing that with me.”

“You shared first. I felt like it was only fair.” Sango pointed out. “And I thought maybe hearing it from the perspective of the person attacked would possibly help.”

“It did. Thank you.” 

Miroku kissed her and she buried a hand in his hair, losing herself to him. Every time he touched her she wanted him so much. When they broke apart she gathered her courage and spoke again.

“Actually, that mission I told you about, that’s...well, it left a horrible scar on my back. It’s huge and ugly and I’ve been scared for you to see it--terrified to see your reaction. That was part of what I saw in the mirror with Ayaka, but even though I know it’s irrational, part of me still fears it’s true. That you’ll be disgusted, that you’ll turn away…” Sango confessed, her cheeks pinking in embarrassment.

“I’ve told you before, and I’ll tell you again, Sango. No scar could ever make me want you less. Whatever it looks like, it doesn’t matter. It’s a mark of your survival, something I am extremely grateful for.” Miroku replied.

Sango could hear the sincerity in his voice. She took a deep breath and then, before she could lose her nerve, asked him, “Do you want to see it? The scar?”

Miroku wondered if this was some kind of test. He had to tread carefully or he feared he would scare her away. She was clearly deeply insecure about it, which he felt was ridiculous; she was the most beautiful woman he had ever had the pleasure of laying eyes on, scars or no scars. From her body to her spirit, she captivated him. The fact she had offered to let him see was a sign of her trust in him and he would not betray that.

“I would be honored.” He answered.

Sango got up from the bed, walking a few steps away and removed her sweater, dropping it to the floor. At first Miroku saw nothing but a glimpse as her long dark brown hair fell to cover her back again, hiding it from view. Then she moved her hair to the side and over her shoulder, baring her back and her scar to him. Only the band of her pink bra bisecting her back obscured his view of the mark.

He silently sucked in a breath, but not because he found her ugly. It spanned most of her back, radiating out from her spine in almost a starburst shape. The scar tissue was a mix of pink and pale white, alternating between unnaturally smooth and the appearance of bumps and wrinkles where it melded with the unblemished parts of the skin of her back. The pain she must have suffered to possess such a scar…it had to have been unbearable.

He stood up from the bed and walked up behind her and raised a hand to lightly touch the outside of the scar with a finger. She flinched, tensing, and he stopped immediately.

“May I?” He asked, seeking her permission. After a moment she nodded her assent and relaxed. Carefully, he inspected her scar, running his fingers gently over the whole of it. Now he understood why she had refused to turn her back to him to hide her nakedness in the aftermath of being saved from that evil water spirit; but she needn't have worried. He still found her beautiful.

Sango scarcely dared to breathe as Miroku examined her scar, his fingertips trailing over the whole of it and making her suppress a shiver at his touch. She chanced a glance to the side at the dresser mirror, to try to see his face in the reflection, and what she saw made her heart clench. It was…intent, almost fascination, as if he was trying to memorize every line and raised edge. 

Miroku finally finished his perusal of what she had so bravely decided to share with him, and wrapped his arms around her middle, pulling her close to him. 

“You’re beautiful, Sango. Scars and all.” He told her and pressed a kiss to her shoulder. She leaned back into his touch, saying nothing, and they stayed that way for a few minutes before she pulled away, turning to face him.

Despite the seriousness of the moment, Miroku was a simple man. The woman he loved and desired was standing before him with no top on and he couldn’t help but notice or take it in. The satiny pink bra she was wearing cradled her full, perfect breasts, showcasing them in a very pleasing manner, and he took his time to appreciate the flawless way they were displayed. He could see the faint red line of the stab wound on the right side of her chest, right above her breast, that would no doubt form its own scar. 

His gaze dipped lower and took in her flat and toned stomach, noticing a scar trailing from her left side to just under her breasts, no more than a faint white line. He barely resisted the urge to trace the line with his finger and raised his eyes back up to her face, meeting her gaze. He could tell by the look in her eyes she knew he had been taking advantage of her partially unclothed state to thoroughly check her out and also that she didn’t mind, possibly welcomed it. He desperately wanted to kiss her, but felt that was dangerous given the fact she had no shirt, only a bra on. And he badly wanted to see that bra on the floor next to where her sweater lay.

“Now would be a perfect time to kiss you.” He told her.

“Then why don’t you?”

Fuck it. He cradled her face with his hands and took her lips with his own, the kiss starting out as slow and lingering, but he couldn’t seem to stop himself from escalating it into something more heated, more passionate. Sango kissed him back, just as urgent, and clutched at him as if she was almost as frantic for him as he was for her. Finally, Miroku pulled away, his breathing harsh, heart racing in his chest.

“Sango, we need to stop. If we don’t stop now, you’re not going to be wearing that bra for much longer.” He told her honestly, his gaze heated. He had expected an instant denial from her, as she typically did in moments like this, and that was fine with him; he would wait for as long as she needed. But instead she paused, searching his eyes, as if considering it and he held his breath in anticipation of her answer.

Sango didn’t think there would be a better time for this to happen then right now, in this moment. It felt right. She was tired of telling him no when all she wanted was to say yes. She licked her lips a little nervously, finding her voice.

“That’s okay. I-I want this, Miroku.” She said breathlessly, her heart pounding.

“Are you sure?” Miroku asked, needing to know this was what she really wanted. He thought he might die if she said no.

“Yes. I’m sure.” Sango replied and she pulled him back down to kiss her again. 

A thought occurred to Miroku and he broke apart from her.

“Wait. Protection. Let me get a cond--”

“That’s not necessary.” Sango interrupted, knowing what his concerns were. Miroku gave her a bemused look and let out a laugh.

“Sango, my dear, while I would love for you to bear my children, this is perhaps a little too soon.” He joked, indigo eyes twinkling, and she rolled her own, giving his chest a small push.

“I’m on birth control; I have an IUD. It’s fine.”

“Really? You?” Miroku couldn’t hide the surprise from his voice.

“I-it’s not for sex, well I mean yes, it’s also to prevent any pregnancies in the event I ever did have sex, but that’s not the reason I got it. It’s something all female demon slayers get when they’re old enough. When we get our periods our scent obviously changes, what with all the blood and everything. Demons pick up on the scent of blood mixed with the hormones and it’s like a beacon to them. That makes it harder to sneak up on an enemy and creates difficulties in masking your presence. In the old days we obviously had to use other methods to try to disguise it from demons but now in the modern world this is easier and more efficient.” Sango explained.

“Hmm, I see. Very interesting.” Miroku murmured at her answer but his eyes were on her chest again and he lifted his hands to reach behind her and unclasp her bra. She backed away and smiled.

“Not so fast. I’m not going to be the only one standing here half-naked.”

“Are you telling me to undress?” Miroku asked, his voice low. A smirk played on his lips.

“I am.”

“As you wish.”

He removed his shirt in one fluid motion and, even though Sango had seen his bare chest plenty of times already over the past week, she still took a moment to appreciate it, drinking him in with her eyes. His arms and chest were corded with muscle, perfectly toned, and her gaze slipped to his well defined abs. She closed the distance between them and did what she had been dying to do since her first sight of his gorgeous body, running her hands up and down the expanse of his torso. He breathed in a short gasp at her touch and watched her as she explored him.

His hands undid the button and zipper to his jeans, pushing them down slightly, and he let them sit low on his hips in favor of putting his hands to better use. Such as sliding them down her back to cup her ass, taking his time in feeling her up. She let out a sound between a gasp and a moan; he felt his cock twitch in response. He was already hard for her.

“You know, I’ve been dying to do this since the moment I first saw you bent over in that cafe a month ago.” He confessed as he continued to stroke and knead her between his hands.

“Wh-what? You mean when you said you were appreciating the view, you really meant-- Ahh!” Her question cut off in a small cry as Miroku pulled her close, pressing himself against her and letting her feel the hard length of him. He moved his hips the smallest bit and she gasped, her hands moving from his chest to clutch at his shoulders.

“Yes. I was definitely lying and definitely talking about your ass, not your face. Although your face is perfect, too. Every part of you is.” Miroku told her, speaking into her ear, and she shivered at the sensation of his warm breath on her skin as he slowly and deliberately ground himself into her again

This time she couldn’t hold back a moan or her own body’s reaction, which was to hook a leg around one of his and move against him to ease the pressure that had started to build. She was already so wet it was embarrassing, but she didn’t much care at the moment.

Miroku rubbed himself against her once more, pressing harder, and earned another moan from her while letting out a groan himself. Fuck, they had only just begun and he was already on fire with need for her. 

He captured her lips with his once more and released his hold on her ass, sliding his hands up her back, finally undoing the clasp to her bra. Breaking away, he slid the straps off her shoulders and she let go of him to remove it, allowing it to fall and exposing her bare breasts to his eyes. She resisted the urge to cover herself and let him look his fill, blushing and feeling slightly shy in spite of everything they had done moments before. He looked at her as if wondering if she was real, hungrily devouring the sight of her. Her body felt heated from where his gaze had passed over.

“You’re so fucking beautiful.” Miroku said, reaching for her again and he took hold of one of her breasts, gently squeezing and massaging the mound, causing Sango to let out a sigh of pleasure. He flicked the pink nipple with his thumb and she gasped. Continuing his ministrations, he moved his lips to her neck where he alternately pressed kisses, nipped at her, and gently sucked. She let out a small moan, running her hands up and down his back. That moan turned into a loud cry when he moved his mouth from her neck to her breast, taking her nipple into his mouth and sucking while tracing circles around the sensitive bud with his tongue.

It was time to move this to the bed, Miroku decided. With the arm curled around her, he caressed her back before reaching her ass again and giving it a possessive squeeze. Reluctantly, he released her nipple from its captivity in his mouth. Then he lifted her and she grabbed at his shoulders while he carried her to the bed, laying her down. He took the opportunity to rid himself of his jeans and she watched him, her eyes lingering over the noticeable bulge in his boxers. Noticing where her eyes were fixed, Miroku smirked.

Sango rolled to kneel on the bed in front of where he stood and she ran her hands over him again before letting them rest on his shoulders, leaning in for another kiss. He returned it, tasting her and drinking her in. As they kissed, Sango slid her hands south, pausing at the waistband of his boxers hesitantly. Just as she felt bold enough to take him in her hand, Miroku gently took hold of her wrist, holding it in place.

“No. Not yet.” He said, breaking the kiss and breathing hard.

“What?”

“Your pleasure first.”

With that statement, Miroku undid her jeans and, lifting her up, helped her remove the rest of her clothing. She knelt in front of him, totally naked, and for a moment he thought this must be what nirvana was like. Or heaven. This woman right here before him, totally bare to his eyes and looking at him with eyes glazed over with desire, was paradise.

“Uhm, Miroku?”

“Yes?”

“If you keep staring at me like that...it’s making me…” She trailed off, clearly too shy to finish the sentence, but he didn’t miss the way she squirmed slightly, rubbing her thighs together. 

He felt an intense spike of arousal rush through him at her own blatant need for him and he had to remind himself not to go too fast with her. She wasn’t just some random girl he met at a bar, only good for a few nights of meaningless sex; she was the woman he loved. He had never really been in love before her and it made everything so much more intense. And while she was technically not a virgin she might as well be, considering she had done it one time only, and that one time had been a terrible experience for her. Miroku was going to make sure that this time, with him, would be nothing like that. He wanted this to be all about her, her pleasure, and making her feel loved and wanted. But first...

“Sango, before we go any further, I want you to know this. If at any point you don’t like anything I’m doing, or change your mind, tell me and I’ll stop. It might kill me, but I’ll stop.”

“I’m not going to ask you to stop.” Sango told him, reaching for the waistband of his boxers and giving it a small tug. “I...I know I’m not very experienced, and probably won’t be as good as-- as others you’ve had, but I’m a fast learner and--”

“Stop.” Miroku shushed her with a finger to her lips. “Your experience, or lack thereof, doesn’t matter to me. Sango, none of the others I’ve been with could ever hope to hold a candle to you simply because they are not _you._ You’re the one I love; the only one I want.”

“I just don’t want to...to be disappointing.” Sango admitted.

“That would be impossible.”

Miroku joined her on the bed, kneeling beside her and kissing her again as he caressed her all over, paying careful attention to her breasts. His fingertips trailed lightly up and over her soft thighs but stopped just short of touching her where she was aching for him. She made the most beautiful, breathy sounds against his lips, burying a hand in his hair and the other clinging to his back.

“Spread your legs.” Miroku told her and she hesitantly obeyed. Still kissing her and holding her to him with one arm, he used the other to trace a path over her leg before reaching her inner thigh. The wetness he encountered there made him suck in a breath. The insides of her thighs were covered with the evidence of her arousal and he felt his cock twitch again, straining at the fabric of his boxers. 

“God, you’re so wet.” He whispered and she blushed.

“I-it’s your fault...with the way you’ve been touching me, looking at me, speaking to me...” Sango breathed back, squirming.

“In that case, I accept all the blame.”

His fingers slipped between her legs and he stroked her slowly, exploring her sopping wet folds. She let out a low moan and he swallowed it with another kiss. Running his fingers over her labia, he teased another moan out of her, his fingers drenched in her juices. Then he parted her lips and his fingers found her sensitive nub, rubbing a short, taut circle around it.

“Ahh!” Sango cried out, breaking their kiss. Her body jolted at the touch and she spread her legs wider. Any shyness left in her quickly disappeared as his fingers played with her. “Fuck! God, right there...”

“You mean here?”

Miroku plucked once more at her clit before stopping and Sango let out a whimper of need. He was teasing her, deliberately not giving her what she wanted. She _needed_ him to touch her there, again and again. And then he did, and it was heaven.

“Mmm, ahh! Yes, there--” Sango barely managed to get out the words as Miroku pressed against her clit with his thumb in slow motions while one of his fingers slipped inside of her. The sound she made as he inserted a second finger to join the first was so loud she feared the neighboring rooms would hear her. Miroku began to slide them in and out of her, continuing to rub at her clit in excruciatingly slow circles.

Miroku didn’t think it was possible to get any more turned on than he already was but he was wrong. The cry that had just escaped her lips, the way her body was beginning to undulate against his hand...fuck.

“That’s my new favorite sound. I want to hear you make it again, and again.” Miroku told her, his voice almost a growl. He began to move his hand faster against her, his thumb frantically rubbing small whirls around her bundle of nerves, his fingers thrusting more quickly and Sango’s moans and cries grew in volume.

Grabbing onto his shoulders for leverage, Sango began to move her hips in time to the movements of his fingers, panting in between her groans and gasps of pleasure. She was so wet, so turned on, and his fingers felt so good on her, inside her. None of the times she had ever masturbated had ever been like this and she wondered if it was because this was Miroku touching her, or if his hands were really that talented. It didn’t matter, though. All that mattered was finding her release.

She rode his hand, rolling her hips against him as he fingered her. Pressure began to coil tightly in her abdomen and she could feel she was close, _so close_ , to coming undone, wetness spilling from her. Her head fell back, eyes partially closed.

“M-Miroku...fuck...I’m going to…”

Miroku sped up his movements, rubbing at her clit faster and fucking her with his fingers harder, building her up and taking her body to the precipice, where she was on the verge of falling over.

“Cum for me, Sango.” Miroku whispered the command in her ear as he gently scraped his nail across her overly sensitive nub, sending her over the edge. With a loud cry Sango came, the orgasm taking hold of her body as she shook from the pleasure, her walls clenching and releasing rapidly around his fingers, fingers that continued to stroke her, wringing out every last shudder, until at last the aftershocks had faded and she leaned her forehead against his. They stayed that way for a couple minutes while she recovered until at last she was able to speak.

“God, Miroku...that was…”

“Incredible? Amazing? The best thing you’ve ever felt?” He half joked and she let out a laugh.

“Yes, actually.” She said, still panting a little bit and leaning in to give him a short, sweet kiss. Not that Miroku’s ego needed a boost. “I’ve never felt it so...so _intense_ before.”

“It will _always_ be like that with me.” Miroku told her in a self-assured voice, removing his fingers from her. 

Sango wanted to return the favor and make him feel as good as he had just made her feel, and she reached down between them to stroke at the bulge in his boxers. Miroku groaned at her touch. Feeling a little less hesitant after that, Sango felt him up more firmly, moving her hand over the length of him. She could feel he was large, but not so big that she felt concerned about him fitting inside of her. Somehow she knew they would fit together perfectly.

“S-Sango…”

“Take these off.” She commanded, more confidently than she was actually feeling. She honestly had no idea what she was doing, but she had read books, heard things…

They broke apart briefly and Miroku removed the last of his clothing and then knelt before her on the bed, as naked as she was. The last part of him was finally laid bare to her and she took him in, savoring the sight. Miroku was confident in his looks and his body, knowing he was an attractive man and having used that fact to his advantage many times. Still, he all but preened at the appreciative way she studied him before her eyes settled on the area between his legs. He felt himself grow even harder at her intense scrutiny.

He was so erect his cock was jutting out from his body, precum on the tip. Reaching out with a hand she carefully wrapped it around the base of his shaft and gave a small squeeze and then moved along his length to the head and back down again. Miroku’s body jerked at the touch and she repeated her motions more quickly this time, beginning to develop a rhythm. He let out a choked gasp and she looked up into his face.

“I--I’ve never really done this before, but I want to make you feel good too.” She confessed. “Tell me what you want.”

“Fuck, Sango, your hand feels perfect.” Miroku groaned as she continued to pump him. “Just like that. Uhn! But faster...more firmly.”

Sango began to stroke his cock faster, squeezing harder as she worked the length of him and Miroku groaned and panted at her ministrations. Despite her inexperience he would swear this was the best handjob he had ever received and he felt the pressure of his release begin to build. Maybe it was because he loved her so much, wanted her so much, fantasized about it so much that to have her here on this bed, with him, jerking his cock furiously with her hand...it was fucking heaven.

Emboldened by the sounds of pleasure he was making, Sango moved her hand even faster while her other hand reached under to gently cup his balls and softly massage them. Miroku shuddered at the sensations and gripped her tightly, letting out a long, low groan as his hips started to involuntarily move against her hand. He began to meet her strokes with thrusts of his own, fucking her hand, unable to control it. It felt so fucking good.

“Fuck...God, Sango…I’m going to...”

Sango brought her grip back to the head and lightly ran her thumb over the tip, pressing gently, and Miroku exploded. His body jerked as he came all over her hand, letting out a cry that turned into grunts and gasps. She continued her motions until his climax subsided, after which she removed her hands.

“Sango, you’re amazing.” He told her, and she smiled, clearly pleased at how she had just brought him his own pleasure.

Panting, Miroku watched as she brought the hand covered in his cum up to her mouth and tasted it, her tongue licking it from her palm and fingertips before swallowing it all. His own mouth went dry and his dick gave a painful twitch at the incredibly erotic sight. _Fuck_. Already getting turned on again, he felt lightheaded for a second.

“Did you actually just...?” He asked her, unable to believe what he had just seen her do. Her smile faded and she began to look unsure.

“I-I thought guys liked it when girls did this, and...I was curious how it tasted--”

She broke off as Miroku pulled her to him in a heated kiss, taking her mouth with his own hungrily. As he kissed her he pushed her back onto the bed until she was laying on her back with his body over hers, her head against the pillows and her long hair fanned out around her like a halo, which was fitting because she was an angel. An angel come to send him to nirvana with her sweet body. Nibbling her bottom lip between his teeth and tasting himself on her lips, Miroku gave it a small tug before releasing it and stared into her eyes.

“Sango, that was probably one of the most erotic things I’ve ever fucking seen. I just couldn’t believe you would do something like that, or want to.” Miroku assured her.

“Why not? Especially if you like it. I mean, it honestly didn’t taste so bad, just really salty.” 

That’s it. He was going to marry this woman, and have her bear all of his children. She was fucking perfect. 

“Have I mentioned I love you?”

She laughed and gave his shoulder a playful smack before soothing the sting with a caress, her fingers trailing over his muscled back.

Miroku kissed her again then broke away to trail his lips over her body, stopping at every scar to press a kiss to it and telling her how beautiful she was. Eventually, slowly, he made his way down her belly, reaching her pelvis. He paused, looking up at her and she raised her head to lock eyes with him.

“Miroku?”

“Seeing as how you've tasted me, it's my turn to repay the favor.” He told her, giving her a wicked smile and spreading her legs.

Sango watched as Miroku settled himself between her thighs and then his mouth was on her and _oh God_. His tongue slipped between her folds and found her clit, flicking it with the tip and earning a cry from her as her body jerked from the sensation. He repeated the motion several more times, coaxing a keening sound from her that ended in a moan. Moving away from her bundle of nerves, his tongue lapped at her opening, darting in and out, teasing and tasting her for a while. Then his tongue reached her nub again and flicked at it some more.

Reaching down with one hand, Sango grasped at his head between her legs and buried her fingers in his hair, pressing down and urging him on. Her other hand clutched wildly at the sheets around her as she began to writhe under Miroku’s mouth. Sounds she had never made before were spilling from her lips and she couldn’t seem to stop it. Didn’t want to. Her moans seemed to spur him on.

Miroku alternately laved at her clit and teased at her opening, pausing momentarily to simply drink her in, figuratively and literally. He swallowed a mouthful of her juices that were continuing to flow freely from her core. She tasted divine.

“Miroku! Ahh! Please, ah... right there... so good…” Sango cried out, barely able to form the words around all her moans and gasps of need. She could feel her orgasm building, feel the coil winding tightly in her belly, begging for release.

He began to use his lips, kissing and tugging at her folds while his tongue continued to stroke her most sensitive places. More moans escaped her mouth, raising in pitch and volume as he worked her. Her hips started to move and soon she was gyrating against him uncontrollably, the hand in his hair pushing down hard in silent demand. Miroku slid his hands from her thighs to her hips to pin her down and hold her in place as his mouth continued to devour her mercilessly. 

Sensing she was close to the edge, Miroku gently took hold of her clit between his lips and sucked at it hard while his tongue drew quick circles around and over it. His dick was achingly erect again, all her moans and thrashing turning him on beyond all reason and he rubbed himself against the bed to ease the pressure. No other woman had ever driven him as wild before. But he hadn't ever been in love with any other woman. They hadn't been Sango.

“Ahh! Ah! Fuck…Miroku...please...let me-- Aahh!! I need--Mm!” Sango begged, almost incoherently, and Miroku sucked at her clit harder, faster, then softly nibbled at it with his teeth and _fuck_. Sango came hard, almost screaming her release as her body convulsed with her crashing orgasm. The spasms of absolute ecstasy tore through her and when it finally passed, she lay there, utterly spent and panting hard.

Miroku kissed his way back up her body then took her mouth again in a slow, deep kiss and she tasted herself on his lips. He positioned himself above her, supporting his weight on one knee, his cock at her soaking wet opening and finally broke off the kiss to stare into her eyes.

“Sango, I’m going to put it in now. Are you ready?”

She nodded her consent and he pushed, slowing entering her. Miroku groaned through gritted teeth as he forced himself to take his time, but _fuck_ she felt so good. Her pussy was so hot and so wet.

Sango stiffened at the intrusion, her earlier languor replaced by discomfort and slight pain. She breathed sharply, holding back a whimper and shutting her eyes. Miroku noticed and stopped, only a few inches in, giving her body time to adjust to him. After a few long moments the pain faded a bit and she opened her eyes again, meeting Miroku’s concerned face. She knew he had to be using all his self control to hold back from taking her as hard and as fast as he no doubt wanted to.

“It’s okay. I’m okay. You can keep going.” She told him and he released the breath he had been holding. He entered her fully and the pain disappeared entirely. Sango wrapped her arms around him, hands running over his back.

As he had suspected, her body resisted the intrusion of his cock inside of her, unused to the sensation or any kind of sexual activity. Moving slowly, he withdrew his dick until only the head remained inside her then, after a slight pause, pushed himself back in just as slowly. Continuing like this for a few minutes, Miroku breathed heavily, groaning at the sweet torture.

Sango’s body finally relaxed, accepting and even welcoming his cock and she began to shift herself against him every time he entered her fully. It was a strange feeling but it also felt good. She hoped he would get the hint and start to move faster but he kept the same pace. 

“Faster. Please...move faster.” Sango gasped out as pleasure began flowing through her. He felt so good inside of her and she wanted more.

At her command, Miroku increased his pace and she gave a moan from beneath him. That only fueled his own need but he still didn’t totally let go of his control, trying to be careful with her. At least not until Sango moaned again and started to raise her hips upwards against him, matching his thrusts, and almost pleading, “M-Miroku...I said you can move faster. Don’t hold back...I want it.”

 _Fuck._ He let go of his control and thrust into her wildly, taking her as hard and as fast as he had been dying to and she felt so fucking good around him, her tight pussy practically milking his cock as he slammed himself in and out of her. 

“Is this what you want?” He panted.

Sango clutched at him as he moved, shivering at the delicious friction of his cock rubbing against her walls and his pelvis pressing against her clit with each frantic thrust. Cries began to escape her lips and she tried to respond but moaned louder instead.

“Tell me, Sango, what do you want?” Miroku demanded, and he forced himself to slow down, teasing her by deliberately withdrawing from her hot core, pausing a moment, then slamming back into her. He repeated the motions, playing with her as she became as desperate for him as he was for her, writhing beneath him. Her fingernails scratched at his back and she looked at him, panting and gasping.

“D-don’t… tease me...Mmmm!…” Sango managed, needing him to go faster again and continue to increase the incredible pleasure wrapping itself tightly around her.

“What do you want? Say it.” He growled, wanting just as badly to lose himself in her again, to fuck her senseless. 

Sango grabbed at his face and pulled him down towards her, speaking brokenly in between the gasps.

“Just... _fuck_ me...Miroku! Do me...hard and fast... _please!_ ”

Any semblance of control was lost at hearing those words from her lips, his cock pulsing with sharp arousal as he began to thrust into her furiously. Her breasts bounced in time to his movements and her cries increased in volume. He pounded himself into her, grunting and groaning as she urged him on by wrapping her legs, those perfect legs, around him, allowing him to go even deeper. Moving his hands beneath her, he cupped her ass and lifted her up against him as she held onto him tightly.

“S-Sango...fuck, I’m going to…” Miroku grunted as he drove himself into her. He gave it to her harder, pressing into her and finding her sweet spot, causing more moans and cries to fall from her lips. She was incredible.

“M-me too..” Sango breathed back. She could feel her own release was close and squeezed her legs around him, trying to meet his breakneck pace but unable to keep up he was going so fast. The lower part of him was rubbing frenetically against her clit again and she had never felt so fucking good before. It was pure rapture. He pumped his cock in and out of her with an urgency and that wonderful friction of him built itself up again until she was on the edge. At his next thrust the pleasure exploded and she screamed his name as she came. She almost saw stars as her body shook from the force of the orgasm rolling through her.

Miroku watched her orgasm with reverence, finding it the most entrancing thing he had ever seen. Then her walls clamped down hard around his dick, shaking and twitching, and it triggered his own climax. He gave a hoarse cry as he came hard, choking out her name and spilling himself inside of her. They held each other through the waves of ecstasy coursing through both of them as it wrung them dry. When it passed they stayed that way for a few minutes, simply catching their breath and looking into each other’s eyes. Then Miroku pulled out and lay on his side next to her, still holding onto her ass possessively. He gave it a gentle squeeze and kissed the top of her head, earning himself a smile as she curled into him.

“I love you.” She told him simply as he leaned in, kissing her sweetly while she ran her hands over his back, trying to soothe the scratches she had no doubt left behind.

“Fuck, Sango, you're incredible. I may not have been your first but I intend to be your last. I hope you realize I’m never letting you go now. You’re mine.”

“I intend to hold you to that. You're mine now, too.” She replied, still smiling.

“I’ve been yours since the day I met you, my dear Sango.” Miroku returned and she gave a laugh.

“Is that so?”

“I assure you it is.”

“I’m glad you were patient and waited for me to come around.”

“You were more than worth it.” Miroku told her, and she practically glowed with happiness. Then his gaze turned mischievous. “Alright, now I have to ask. How does the real thing compare to your dreams? I’m dying to know.”

Sango removed her hands from him and gave the back of his head a smack before turning an unamused stare on him, her cheeks pinking.

“Seriously? Ask me that again and I’ll push you out of this bed.”

“Are you still embarrassed about that? That’s adorable.”

“Shut up.”

 _My dreams couldn’t even hope to compare to the reality that was you on me, around me, and inside me._ But she didn’t say it, just continued to give him a look and he chuckled.

"So much better you can't even speak, I see." Miroku teased, dodging another smack from her. "Fine, fine. I'll stop. For now."

"Good. You're ruining the moment."

Miroku broke apart from her briefly to pull the covers down and then situated himself beside her under them. Sango settled herself on his chest, and he held her, wondering how he had gotten so lucky. As one of his hands gently stroked through her hair she took comfort in the steady sound of his heartbeat at her ear.

~☆~

The sound of knocking woke Sango up and she came alert, becoming aware of a few things all at the same time. Her and Miroku were naked in bed together, the clock on the nightstand read 10:02, and Kagome’s voice was calling for them on the other side of their hotel room door accompanied by more knocking. _Oh shit_. They had been supposed to be ready to go at ten. 

“Looks like we’ve overslept.” Miroku remarked calmly from behind her. 

“Hurry up and put on your clothes!” Sango ordered as she shot up, throwing aside the sheets, and making a beeline for her own.

“Kagome, give them a few minutes. Trust me.” Inuyasha’s voice could be heard saying through the door, and it sounded amused.

“Sorry, Kagome! We’ll be right out in five minutes!” Sango called back, and the knocking stopped.

Miroku was a little disappointed they hadn’t been able to take time to enjoy the morning after, or even go for another round. However the sight of her dashing around the room naked as she rushed to pick up the clothes he had left strewn all over the floor last night almost made it worth it. When they were both dressed and had their bags in hand, Sango opened the door to see Inuyasha and Kagome waiting for them on the other side. 

“Sorry for the delay. We forgot to set an alarm.” Miroku said smoothly.

“Sango, aren’t those the clothes you were wearing yesterday? I thought you brought a change.” Kagome observed, and Sango froze, silently cursing and her face flushing.

“I, uh…” Sango didn’t have a good excuse, and she didn’t want to tell her best friend that she had had sex with Miroku while Inuyasha and her afore-mentioned boyfriend were standing right next to her. _Yeah, I just threw on the first things I could find so it totally didn’t look like I was naked moments before._

“Are you blushing??” Kagome questioned.

“They mated.” Inuyasha stated, smirking. “Their scents are all over each other. That’s why I told ya to wait a bit.”

“Mated…? What does th-- oh. OH.” Kagome’s eyes widened in realization. Then she grinned, happy for Sango, knowing what a big step this had been for her. She was slightly jealous but she didn’t allow that to take away from her excitement for her best friend. And she was _definitely_ going to ask her all about it later.

“You can smell that?!” Sango exclaimed, embarrassed and slightly scandalized. And then immediately realized what a dumb question that was. He _was_ a dog demon, after all.

“Inuyasha...a little tact would be nice.” Miroku sighed.

“Kinda hard when you’re reeking of sex.” Inuyasha returned unapologetically. “Besides, I heard you last night.”

“What??” Sango’s eyes grew large. 

“Parts of it, anyway. You weren’t exactly quiet.”

“I didn’t hear anything.” Kagome assured her.

“You don’t have demonic hearing. I tuned it out after the first couple times. You guys really went at it.”

“Can you please just stop talking!” Sango yelled, resisting the urge to bury her face in her hands. Inuyasha had made it sound like she and Miroku had done it all night long when in reality it had only been three times. Miroku didn’t seem to be bothered but why would he be? The man was shameless, after all. Knowing him, he was probably feeling rather proud of himself. 

“Inuyasha, that’s enough. You’re embarrassing her.” Miroku admonished, but Sango could see his lips twitch as he fought back a smug grin. She had to resist the urge to elbow him in the side. Ugh, men.

“Come on, Kagome. We need to check out.” Sango said, grabbing hold of Kagome’s arm and rushing to the elevator without waiting for the two men. Suppressing a smile, Kagome allowed Sango to steer her down the hall while mentally making a note to ask Inuyasha what exactly he had heard. She was dying to know, and wondered how it would match up to what Sango decided to tell her when they talked later. Because they _would_ talk about it; as her best friend Kagome considered herself entitled to _all_ the details.

A little while later they were all packed into the car and headed back to Tokyo. About halfway there an idea occurred to Kagome.

“We really need to find Tsubaki, right?” She spoke into the momentary lull of conversation.

“Duh. I thought that was obvious.” Inuyasha snarked and she had to close her eyes for patience and remind herself she loved him.

“Would you let me finish?”

“Well, you asked.”

“It was obviously rhetorical.”

“Then be more clear.”

“ _Anyways,_ ” Kagome pressed on, shooting the half demon an annoyed glance. “I was thinking about trying another location ritual. _Let me finish._ ” She stressed the last part when Inuyasha began to voice his protest to that particular statement.

“What are you thinking?” Sango prompted.

“The last time I wasn’t fully prepared and I’ll own that. I didn’t shield myself and left myself and Inuyasha open to attack. This time would be different. And I would need your help, Miroku.” Kagome continued.

Miroku glanced at her in the rearview mirror. “What do you need?”

“For you to perform the ritual with me. If we combine our reiki we could double the protection and also the potency of the spell. And this time actually get a real lead on her. Of course, Inuyasha and Sango would be standing by just in case anything went amiss.”

“Okay. I’m willing.” Miroku agreed easily and Sango voiced her own agreement. Inuyasha was the only one silent and Kagome looked at him. He sighed heavily. 

“Fine. It’s a decent idea.” He conceded, albeit grudgingly and Kagome rewarded him with a dazzling smile, grabbing his hand, holding it tightly. She raised herself briefly to brush a quick kiss onto his cheek and he gave her a soft smile.

“Thank you.” She told him simply. “This time will be different. We can do this.”

Soon they would find Tsubaki and put a stop to her diabolical plan. They wouldn’t allow her to succeed. They couldn’t afford to.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to lavendertwilight89 for being an awesome beta, and to hnnwnchstr for being my hype woman <3
> 
> I live for comments and want to thank everyone who has taken the time to tell me what they think! Although shout out to everyone who reads but doesn't comment, I appreciate you guys too <3 Enjoy!

Inuyasha stared at the phone in his hand with utter distaste. It wasn’t the phone’s fault; he understood the necessity and convenience of them in this modern world. It wasn’t even because he disliked phones in general, although Kagome had been working on warming him up to the idea of getting his own. She claimed he needed one in the event she had to get a hold of him and he argued that that was ridiculous because he was always near her side anyway. 

“That won’t always be the case.” She had replied. “I love you, but I do have a life outside of you. Once Tsubaki is taken care of things will go back to normal, and there will be times when we each have our own separate responsibilities to take care of. If we’re going to be together and make a life together, you have to make yourself a part of this modern world, because  _ I _ am a part of it, too.”

He didn’t like it but there wasn’t much he could say to refute that, because she was right. And he would do anything for her if it meant he got to keep her in his life--to be able to call her his. He had agreed to get one, and make other necessary steps, once everything with Tsubaki was done.

No, Inuyasha’s aversion to the phone was not the phone itself. It was because of who he was about to call. At Kagome’s urging, he had grudgingly agreed to call his bastard of a brother to ask him about any attacks against youkai that were similar to those of the attacks on spiritualists and to see if he knew anything else of note. After what Kaede had told them about Tsubaki needing massive amounts of both reiki and youki for her dark spell...well, if anyone would know about something happening to demons it would be the Lord of the West. Inuyasha dialed the number and waited as it rang. Fuck, he hated talking to his brother.

“Hello?” A low feminine voice answered. His brother’s mate had picked up the phone.

“Hey, Kagura.” Inuyasha returned and he heard her take a breath of surprise on the other end of the line then let out a soft chuckle. 

“Inuyasha? Well, well, well. Haven’t heard from you in a long time. It’s been-- what? Twenty years?”

“It would be even longer if I had any say in the matter but unfortunately I need to speak to that dick you call your mate.”

“Right.” Kagura drawled. “You two and your bickering. Doesn’t it ever get old?”

“He’s the one who talks down to me and insults me every fucking chance he gets.” Inuyasha snapped.

“And you rise to the bait every time.” Kagura responded dryly. Inuyasha could practically hear her eye-roll through the phone. “What is it about you brothers that makes you seem to bring out the worst in each other? Still, I’ll admit Sesshomaru is the instigator at least half the time. He isn’t always easy to deal with.”

“I don’t know how you deal with him at all.”

“He’s my mate. While he does have a tendency to act like a condescending ass at times, I’m always quick to remind him of who he’s dealing with, and I know he can find me just as maddening. Of course, he’s never been as unreasonable with me as he is with you.” Kagura answered, amused. “But you didn’t call to ask about my mateship with your brother.”

“No offense, but I’d rather puke blood than hear about you being all lovey-dovey with that jackass.”

Kagura laughed. “I always did like you, Inuyasha. You know I’ve never had anything against you personally.”

“I know. Anyways, I need to speak to him. Is he around?”

“He just got off a conference call. I’ll hand you off.”

“Thanks.” Inuyasha grunted.

“To what do I owe the honor of this call, little brother?” Sesshomaru’s deep, stoic voice asked. It was obvious from his tone that he considered it anything but an honor.

“Hey. I got a couple questions to ask ya.”

“And what might they be?” Sesshomaru sounded bored and Inuyasha resisted the urge to snarl.

“Have there been any attacks against demons lately, with a rune left behind at the scene? And I’m not talkin’ about evil demons. I mean those with powerful auras, who mind their own business around humans, being left in comas with their youki sucked dry.”

There was a long pause and Inuyasha almost began to wonder if his asshat of a brother had simply hung up on him when Sesshomaru spoke again. This time there was no boredom in his voice. His tones were urgent, almost hushed; Inuyasha had gotten his attention.

“How did you come upon this information?”

“Is that a yes?”

“Is it not obvious from my reaction to your words? Tell me what you know.” Sesshomaru ordered imperiously. Suppressing the impulse to tell his brother to go fuck himself, Inuyasha recounted everything they had discovered to him. Everything from the runes, the stolen book of black magic, all their battles, Tsubaki’s involvement behind it all, and their recent discoveries regarding her master plan. Sesshomaru listened without interruption and when he was done the daiyoukai was silent for a long moment.

“This is not good.”

“No, it’s not.” Inuyasha said, agreeing with his brother for one of the first times in both their lives.

“Hn.”

“Alright, I told you what I know; now it’s your turn.”

“Very well.” Sesshomaru’s voice sounded put upon. “About two months ago reports began surfacing of attacks on demons and they were as you described-- drained of their youki and left in comas. There was a mark left behind at each one. If what you say is true, then their souls have also been taken.”

“It’s true.”

“Hn.” Sesshomaru acknowledged. “I remember this Naraku of which you speak.”

“You gonna elaborate on that?” Inuyasha prodded when he fell silent again. His brother had never been the talkative type. Getting anything out of him was like pulling teeth, and this was probably the most forthcoming he had ever been with Inuyasha.

“He thought himself far above his station and was overly ambitious, although he was indeed very powerful for a half breed.” Sesshomaru’s voice dripped contempt at the insulting term and Inuyasha gritted his teeth. “After joining with that dark priestess he became a menace, causing countless problems and gaining influence among those demons who were not content with their place in life. He attempted to form a rebellion against my rule over the youkai of Japan. Many of my allies were attacked.”

“They why the fuck didn’t you do anything?” Inuyasha demanded. “You’re the fucking Lord of the West. Or did you just not care??”

“Mind your tone, little brother.” Sesshomaru clipped out. “Do not think to cast judgement on what you know nothing about. Your ignorance is showing.”

“Keh, whatever. So while you were sittin’ on your ass some priestess took him down instead.”

Sesshomaru growled a warning through the phone and Inuyasha gave a smug grin. It was petty but he felt a little victorious at having gotten a rise out of him.

“This one had been carefully taking steps to end Naraku. It was fifty years ago, not the feudal era where demons fought with abandon, giving no thought as to the consequences of their battles or of human discovery. This one realizes subtly is not your strength, but surely even you have to realize what a terrible idea it would have been for us to fight to the death in the middle of Tokyo.”

“Demonkind would have been exposed.” Inuyasha grudgingly admitted his brother was right. If they had gone all out there would have been no covering that up. Still, that smug sense of satisfaction only increased; Sesshomaru only fell back into his old habit of referring to himself in the third person when he was truly irate.

“Exactly so.”

“I’m guessing you didn’t know about all the attacks against spiritualists before now. Did you know about Tsubaki’s involvement in all of this?” Inuyasha asked.

“There have been rumors regarding the spiritualists, but this one knew nothing for certain. Regarding Tsubaki-- no. This one was not aware of the connection between her and the attacks until your call.” Sesshomaru paused, and his next words were strained, as if he had to force himself to speak them. “This one owes you thanks. Your information has been surprisingly useful.”

It was a backhanded compliment but it was still a great concession for the daiyoukai. Inuyasha was surprised to say the least.

“Don’t mention it.”

“Tsubaki must not be allowed to succeed with her plan. Take care of it.”

Inuyasha bristled at the way his brother had just basically ordered him to do what he was already doing anyways. 

“You don’t get to fucking order me around.” Inuyasha snapped back. “And besides what’s stoppin’ you, huh? Maybe you should get off your ass for a change and do something.”

“Don’t be foolish. She is a dark priestess, not a demon, and therefore not of my concern.”

“And what about all those demons on her side, helping her? Or are they not your problem either?”

“Inuyasha, were you and your companions not already pursuing her?” Sesshomaru’s voice betrayed his impatience.

“Yeah, but--”

“Then this one fails to see the issue.”

“Some help you were.” Inuyasha all but snarled.

“Surely even a half breed like you can handle this task. She is one woman.”

“One woman with an arsenal of black magic who probably has a fucking army to send after us!” Inuyasha returned. “What do you think happened to all those evil demons and spirits on their side after Naraku was purified? You think they just went away? She’s been sending these fuckers after us since day one. At first it was just the small fry but now she’s been upping her game and having the stronger ones attack us.”

“If she indeed has an army, Kagura and I will lend our assistance at that battle. But until that is the case this fight is left to you and your companions. We will not accompany you on some wild goose chase across the city while you pick off her allies one by one.”

“Fine!” Inuyasha growled, hanging up the phone. He had learned basically nothing from that whole exchange, only confirmation of what they had already suspected. The only good news (if you could call it that) was that if things got really bad they could rely on Sesshomaru and Kagura’s help. And “really bad” meant facing an actual army they had to fight through to get to Tsubaki and stop her. But barring that they were on their own.

Placing the phone back on its cradle and making a conscious effort not to slam it down, Inuyasha made his way back up the stairs to Kagome’s room. There wasn’t much to tell, but he had promised to let her know how it went and what his brother had said.

~☆~

While Inuyasha had been calling his brother Kagome had been on the phone having her own conversation with Sango. She had called to demand that Sango give her  _ all _ the details of having sex with Miroku, and Sango had hissed at her to lower her voice. That was probably because Miroku had been sitting right next to her when she had answered the phone if the masculine laughter Kagome heard in the background following her words was any indication. Telling Miroku she was going to have a  _ private _ conversation with her best friend and to shut the hell up, Kagome heard Sango excuse herself to the bedroom and shut the door. Then, in a hushed voice, Sango had told her all about it. It all sounded like such a romantic yet incredibly erotic and pleasurable experience. When she was done Kagome had sighed almost dreamily.

“Wow. That sounds...amazing. I’m kind of jealous. Inuyasha refuses to mate with me until after we take down Tsubaki.” She told Sango, her tone wistful. 

“It must be hard having to wait when you love him so much.” Sango sympathized. Then a thought occurred to her. “Is it just intercourse he refuses to do, or anything at all?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, if it’s just the actual sex itself that he’s putting off because it triggers the mating instinct...Kagome, you know there are other things you can do without going all the way, right?”

Kagome froze at that revelation and wondered why she hadn’t thought of that. It seemed so...obvious.

“You...you’re absolutely right.”

“While demons typically don’t do anything sexual unless they are reproducing or reaffirming a mate bond...Inuyasha is half human, too.”

“I don’t want to put pressure on the demonic part of him if that’s the case, though…” Kagome hedged.

“Then talk to him about it...if your heart can handle it.”

“You’re so evil sometimes. Now that you’ve brought it up it’s all I can think about!”

Sango laughed and wished her luck then hung up the phone. A few minutes later Inuyasha walked in through her bedroom door and Kagome jumped up from her bed, slightly startled. He stopped at her abrupt reaction to his entrance.

“Uh, you okay?”

“Y-yeah. How did the call with your brother go?”

His face darkened a bit as he related the gist of the conversation to her. Closing the door behind him, he walked across the room to lean against the window as he talked and crossed his arms over his chest.

“Hmm. It doesn’t sound like he knows too much more than we do. What you said about Tsubaki having an army, though...that didn’t even occur to me before but it makes sense. She’s always sending others to fight her battles for her. Assuming we manage to corner her I can’t see her taking us on all by herself. No matter how powerful she is.” Kagome mused.

“My thoughts exactly.”

“Well, at least if we really are facing an army we can count on his help.”

“I wouldn’t hold my breath for that.” Inuyasha said, then his golden eyes turned shrewd as he stared at her. “You wanna explain why you were smelling of arousal when I walked in?”

Kagome blushed and she sputtered for a moment, mumbling something about how unfair it was he could seem to smell everything about her.

“Can’t help it.  _ Dog _ demon, remember? Now what’s goin’ on?”

“Uhm, I-- I was thinking and-- uhm, well…” Kagome stuttered out, suddenly shy for some reason. “You said you won’t mate with me until Tsubaki is defeated. Does-- does that mean we can’t do  _ anything _ or just, well, just the-- the sex itself?”

“What are you tryin’ to say?” Inuyasha asked, a corner of his mouth kicking up and exposing the tip of a fang.

“If it’s just actual s-sex that activates the mating instinct, well...there’s other things we could do without going all the way. If-- if it’s not too hard on your demonic half...since you’re half human I thought...” Kagome answered in a barely audible voice, her face red. 

“Oh, yeah? What kind of things?” Inuyasha drew the question out. He was full on smirking now and Kagome’s pulse raced. He had to know what she was talking about; why was he teasing her like this? Saying she wanted to mate with him was one thing, but talking about the particulars of sexual favors was too much for her virgin heart to take.

“Well, Kagome? Aren’t ya gonna tell me?” Inuyasha slowly uncrossed his arms and straightened, taking a step towards her, his amber eyes glowing. Heat shot straight through her and her body felt flushed.

“Uhm...y-you know what…I mean...”

“I wanna hear you say it.”

“N-never mind! Forget it!!” Kagome yelled, too embarrassed. Why had she said anything?? She whirled blindly towards the door, needing to escape the situation she had created, but suddenly Inuyasha was there in front of her. He grasped her around the waist, holding her to him and looking down into her eyes.

“You can’t bring somethin’ like that up then just tell me to forget it.” Inuyasha told her, his voice rough with desire. Kagome shivered at the sound and swallowed.

“I...I can’t say it. It’s too embarrassing.” She mumbled, blushing madly and staring resolutely at his chest, unable to maintain the intense eye contact. 

“I know what you mean. I didn’t mean to tease ya, but I just couldn’t resist. And to be honest, I’m dying to, but I’m still worried I’ll get too carried away once I start touchin’ you.” Inuyasha admitted.

“If you do I’ll tell you to stop. I know you won’t do anything to me without my consent.”

Inuyasha had no idea why she seemed to have so much faith in him. Every time he touched her, every time she let out that breathy sigh of pleasure from his kisses, every time he smelled the siren call of her arousal...it was all he could do not to rip off all her clothes and take her right then and there. To sink his fangs into the place her shoulder met her neck and mark her as his forever. Still, he considered her words and realized she was probably right. Not even his demonic half-- the baser part of him-- would force anything on her, not if she was telling him no. No matter how strongly it demanded he give in to his instincts, she was his mate and that meant his demonic half would listen to her wants; it desired her acceptance of him, to make her happy. Taking her by force would go against all of that. 

Still, despite her insistence, he didn’t think she was entirely aware of everything she was asking for him to do. Imagining things and building them up in her head like she had clearly been doing was totally different from actually experiencing it. The kinds of things she was asking for were on a completely different level from the kissing and touching they had been doing since admitting their feelings for each other. She was so pure and earnest that of course she would want to dive in headfirst, but this was all so new to her. Hell, it was new to him too, but he had a lot more years on his side. Knowledge he’d acquired by chance, and not necessarily voluntarily. 

“So you’re saying you want me to touch you like this?” He asked in a low voice as he trailed a hand up her thigh, slipping under her skirt until he reached the juncture of her thighs. She stiffened as her breathing quickened. He stopped the motion of his hand and after a moment withdrew it, giving her forehead a kiss. 

“You’re way too tense to be ready for somethin’ like this.” 

Kagome cringed at her involuntary reaction, trying to will herself to relax. She wanted so badly to feel him touch her intimately, wanted to solidify their bond. Of course they wouldn’t go all the way, waiting to make their mateship official until after Tsubaki had been taken down, but being intimate in other ways would go hand in hand for when they finally did. However, up until a week ago she had never really even kissed a guy, let alone felt one touch her in the ways she was asking for. When Inuyasha kissed her it was unlike anything she had imagined, and when he ran his hands over her body she wanted to melt, but that was child’s play compared to the way he had been about to touch her. She craved it but a small part of her was still trying to adjust to the reality of it.

“I-I’m sorry, I really do want this, I promise. I’m just...nervous.” Kagome insisted, biting her lip.

“Exactly. You’re way too nervous. And there aint anything wrong with that. We don’t have to rush anything here.”

“But I want it! I...I want to deepen our relationship. I know we can’t mate, not yet, but I want that feeling of closeness and intimacy. I just...I’m just not used to it. I’ve never been with anyone before so I...I just…” 

“Kagome, I’m not going to demand anything of you. I know you want this, but I also know what your body is telling me, and it’s saying you’re not ready for anything more just yet. Maybe tomorrow, maybe two weeks from now. But it aint today. Let’s be clear; this is all kinda new to me too. Demons don’t just go around fucking everything in sight. Not usually anyway. I’m not trying to rush this. This is it; _ you’re _ it.”

He was right, of course. Right now she was definitely too tense. It wasn’t the right moment. She brought her arms up and wrapped them around him while burying her face in his chest as he gently nuzzled the top of her head with his cheek.

“And by the way, I aint sayin’ no to what you were askin’ for. Now just isn’t the right time.”

“Good. And now that you’ve said it, I’m not letting you back out of it.”

He pulled away from her enough to cup her cheek and raise her face to his before lowering his lips to hers. They kissed, lips moving against each other and it was sweet and tender and full of everything they felt for each other.

~☆~

Sango spent the day with Miroku, and wondered if it was wrong to feel such happiness when things were so dire. The situation they were in, all the things they still didn’t know, the consequences should they fail...it was sobering but it didn’t diminish the peace in her heart that being with Miroku had given her. She wondered if Kagome was having a similar internal struggle, and then was curious if Kagome had taken her advice on pursuing... _ other _ ways of being physical with Inuyasha.

When Sango had told her best friend all about being intimate with Miroku she could tell how badly Kagome wanted the same experience with Inuyasha. She had to give him credit for thinking about the possible consequences to Kagome first, knowing that the demonic instinct to mate was all but overwhelming. The pull might not be as uncontrollable for him because he was only a half demon but it had to be difficult to suppress, regardless.

After getting off the phone with Kagome her body was flushed from the memories that she had just relived. Exiting the bedroom, she silently walked back to the living room where Miroku was and he gave her a knowing, heated look. He was fully aware of what she had just been talking about. She blushed, wanting to tell him to stop smirking at her, to get his mind out of the gutter. The problem was that's exactly where her mind had gone too. Sitting close, she reached for him and he kissed her as she pressed herself into him. He gave her what she was wordlessly asking for and ended up taking her right there on the couch. Afterwards he gave her a very satisfied smile before flipping their positions, holding her against his chest. As they laid there together Sango’s mind drifted and Miroku gently stroked her hair.

“Pretty sure you were loud enough that every neighbor on this floor heard you.” He remarked in a teasing voice after a few moments.

“Shut up.” Sango smacked his chest hard, and he grunted but otherwise didn’t seem to care. In fact he even chuckled a bit at her reaction, no doubt finding it cute.

“I would have figured you were the quiet type, but it seems you’re actually quite vocal.”

“I-I’m  _ not _ ! Well, that is, I mean to say, I wasn’t ever loud, not before when it was just m-me...But for some reason w-when you touch me I can’t seem to hold back.” Sango confessed, blushing and refusing to look at him to see his reaction. He had to be feeling rather proud at that admission.

“Hmm. Is that so? That  _ does _ make me feel rather accomplished. But I have a confession to make, too.” He said, and although there was a hint of smug satisfaction in his voice there was something a little more serious, too.

“What?”

“You’re the only woman who’s ever been able to drive me as wild as you do. Make me make the sounds that I do.”

Sango raised her head from his chest to look at him and he met her eyes steadily, giving her a soft smile.

“Really?”

“Yes, really. Of course, you’re also the only woman I’ve ever been in love with, so I’m sure that plays a role.” He continued and warmth bloomed in her chest as her heart pounded.

“You’ve really never loved anyone else?”

“Only you, Sango.”

She knew she should just accept those beautiful, heartfelt words and cherish the moment but something compelled her to keep pressing.

“If you’ve never been in love before then how do you know you love me?”

“Because it’s the only word that could possibly describe what I feel for you.”

Sango wasn’t really the emotional type but she found herself getting misty-eyed at his honest and rather romantic words. Oh God, was she really going to start crying like some high school girl? No, no, no. With an effort she tried to compose herself.

“Why are you so perfect?” She hadn’t realized she said the words until they had left her mouth.

“So that I could be worthy of a goddess such as yourself.” Miroku replied easily, still giving her that soft smile.

Sango managed to not cry and returned his smile as she rolled her eyes at the cheesy line before leaning in to kiss him. He readily welcomed her lips upon his and kissed her long and slow, and she nibbled his lip between her teeth gently before they pulled apart. She stared at him for a moment then spoke.

“I love you, too.”

~☆~

A few hours later they both prepared to make their way to the Higurashi Shrine for the location ritual Miroku was going to help Kagome perform. Sango was dressed in her slayer gear and Miroku packed a white kosode to change into for when it came time. It had been a long time since he had practiced any kind of ceremonial rites but as a monk he had done plenty before. It would be his first time performing one with a priestess and combining the power between the two of them, however.

Kagome had already gone over the particulars with him yesterday on the drive from the Shikon Shrine back to Tokyo but they both felt it was a good idea to review it once more before actually performing it. There were other preparations to be made too, such as cleansing baths, individual prayers, and the drawing of a rune upon both of their chests, over the heart. The rune was not a black mark like the ones Tsubaki had been using to absorb the souls and powers of her victims, nor was it to amplify dark feelings to fuel darker magics. This one was pure, and would serve to guard against Tsubaki getting a read on their magical signatures, masking it and rendering them effectively invisible to her mind’s eye. In the event that failed it would change their presence to something different than what it truly was so that she couldn’t latch onto it and trace it back to them. 

That was the hope, anyways. In the event Tsubaki made it past all their protections again Kagome had Miroku with her this time and between her power and his, she felt confident they could handle anything the dark priestess threw at them. Not to mention they had Inuyasha and Sango to watch over them. It would be fine.

Once it was time and all the preparations had been made all four of them walked to the building with the purification pool they would use for the ritual. Kagome and Miroku had already changed, each dressed in their white kosode, with heavier robes draped over their shoulders to protect them from the bite of cold in the air. The rune they had both drawn upon themselves with a special ink was hidden beneath all the layers, resting over their hearts. 

Entering the small building Inuyasha and Sango took up positions against the wall while Kagome and Miroku lit the incense braziers and removed their outer robes, setting them aside. The both stepped into the water and stood facing each other before looking into each other’s eyes and taking hold of each other’s hands. Power flowed between them and Miroku shielded their minds while Kagome worked on reforming the tenuous connection they both possessed with Tsubaki that had been left behind by her telepathic presence. Once that had been established they could perform the ritual itself and this time would be different; Kagome would not make the same mistakes she had last time.

Inuyasha watched, feeling the immense amount of reiki accumulating between the two of them. There was nothing romantic about what they were doing; logically he knew that. Still, the sight of his mate standing in front of another man in nothing but a thin robe, holding his hands and looking into his eyes...his inner demon was snarling. Especially at the memory of the last time they had been in here, her kosode soaked and transparent, baring everything to his eyes. He hadn’t realized he was beginning to growl out loud until Kagome spoke.

“Inuyasha, it’s hard to focus with you growling.” Kagome said, her voice a quiet admonishment.

“The demon part of me isn’t exactly thrilled at the sight of you holding hands with that pervert, wearing practically nothing.” He groused. He knew Miroku wasn’t interested in Kagome in that way but it didn’t seem to matter to his demon half. After the moment he and Kagome had shared earlier, her confessions of intimacy, combined with the mate bond still waiting to be established and his claim made...his instincts wouldn’t subside. They were still screaming that she was  _ his _ and to mark her, and screw anyone else who tried to touch her. 

Sango gave him a sidelong glance, keeping her comments to herself. If she wasn’t so sure about Miroku’s feelings for her, if she still thought he was just a flirt trying to hit on any attractive woman, then maybe she might have been a little worried. But that wasn’t the case. It was clear it was strictly platonic and all about the ritual. She almost rolled her eyes at Inuyasha’s reaction. Talk about possessive.

“Inuyasha…” Miroku sighed. “Trust me, I would much rather be in here with Sango, holding her hands and looking deeply into her beautiful eyes instead. As lovely as Kagome is, I have absolutely zero interest in her as a woman. No offense.” 

“None taken.” Kagome smiled.

“Yeah, I fucking know. I never said it was rational.” Inuyasha snapped, but he made a conscious effort to keep himself under control. 

Once his snarling had stopped they resumed their efforts, until their powers had risen, awaiting direction. The air was charged with the sheer amount they had built up between the two of them. Dropping each other’s hands they quietly chanted the necessary incantations while performing the accompanying movements that helped to center and focus their minds and powers. Keeping their objective of finding Tsubaki at the forefront of their thoughts as they moved and holding onto that dark connection she had left behind in their minds, the power they had called forth responded. It swirled before grabbing hold of their intentions, now knowing what to search for.

Finishing the ritual they each closed their eyes and breathed deep, the lotus and sandalwood incense burning in the braziers working to calm and settle their minds. They ran their hands through the water, performing more ceremonial movements before grabbing hold of each other’s hands again, eyes still closed. Slowly, they reached a meditative state where they drifted, their physical contact helping to anchor their spirits to each other as, finally, a connection was made.

Images came to them-- a large estate; a patch of woods; an ornate marble fountain in front of the mansion-like house filled with dead leaves, water no longer flowing from the sculpture stretching high at the center; tall blood-red doors; a front gate overgrown with Japanese ivy; and finally, a placard with the address. The visions continued, taking them inside the house. A large entryway overlooked by a balcony with a split staircase leading up to the second story; a chandelier hanging from the ceiling dripping with crystals; a room with a mahogany desk, heavy black velvet curtains preventing any light from finding its way in; a close up of the pages of a book detailing a forbidden ritual to resurrect a half demon, the edges yellowed with age. 

Abruptly the images cut off, and Kagome reeled for a moment, fearing the connection had been severed. But that wasn’t the case as she felt their power still linked to...something. Or  _ someone _ as it turned out. When it refocused they could see the image of a woman. Her face was beautiful, with a youthfulness that belied the gray of her long hair. There was a sharpness to her features that was softened slightly by her large green eyes. Eyes that seemed to be staring directly at them.

_ “You again.” _ Tsubaki spat the words into both of their minds, contempt dripping from every one. _ “And it looks like you brought a friend. Didn’t you learn your lesson last time?” _

The rune should have protected them from discovery and Kagome spared a thought to wonder how she had found her way around it. Their presence should have been nonexistent to her, allowing them to slip in and out undetected. Was she so powerful now, so glutted with the darkness the runes had been feeding into her, that it was useless against her?

They both felt Tsubaki attempt to flip the spell back onto them, as she had the first time Kagome had performed this ritual, but Miroku’s shielding held strong against her attack and it failed.

_ “It appears you’ve learned something at least.” _ Tsubaki huffed in annoyance and Kagome felt a small thrill of victory.

_ “How did you detect our presence?” _ Miroku asked, responding telepathically.

_ “You’re not as clever as you think you are.” _ Tsubaki replied.  _ “Did you try to use a rune to mask yourself? It doesn't work if you’ve already performed the spell on the person you’re seeking to hide yourself from. Especially not when you had that spell flipped back onto you. Still incompetent, I see.” _

_ “Be that as it may, you still weren’t able to reverse it this time.” _ Miroku returned evenly.

_ “You I can’t truly sense, but I knew there was too much power at work for that little priestess to be doing this all on her own. I can only assume you’re the monk.” _

_ “Guilty.” _

_ “So you found me. Congratulations. This changes nothing.” _

_ “Don’t be so sure. We know your plan now.” _ Kagome shot back.  _ “All those souls you’ve been collecting, all that youki and reiki...we know you plan to bring Naraku back.” _

Tsubaki let out a laugh and it echoed inside their heads, girlish and loud.

_ “Oh, is that all? You’re still as clueless as ever if you think that’s  _ everything _.” _

_ “What does that mean?” _ Kagome demanded.

_ “As if I would tell you.” _ Tsubaki scoffed, then her tones turned unforgiving.  _ “In the meantime, I have a gift for you. Consider it recompense for the murder of my apprentice.” _

Feeling the power in the air shift around them, they both snapped their eyes open, trying to locate the source of the disturbance.

_ “Shielding only protects you from a psychic attack. And if you know enough spells there’s always a way to get around even the strongest of wards. Being good only gets you so far.” _

Tsubaki murmured a dark incantation and Kagome felt the pull through their telepathic connection; she felt something opening up. Then the link between the two of them and Tsubaki was severed and there was movement in the water.

Miroku and Kagome instantly dropped their hands and sprang back, causing Inuyasha and Sango to become alert, ready to defend them. What looked like snakes swam around their legs, and they both immediately erected barriers against the threat. It was at that moment Kagome and Miroku recognized the two serpents as shikigami. But rather than attack the two spiritualists they shot out of the water and went after Inuyasha and Sango instead, quick as lightning.

One of them wound its way up Sango’s leg then torso faster than she could blink and wrapped the top of its body around her right arm. She triggered the hidden blade at her wrist and sliced the head clean off, but not before it sank its fangs through the leather of her slayer suit and deep into her wrist. Giving a small cry at the sudden pain, she stared as it disintegrated and breathed hard as adrenaline raced through her veins. Checking her wrist over, she noticed there were no holes in her gear left behind from the fangs; there was no blood. But still the ache lingered.

At the same time the other shikigami had raced its way towards Inuyasha, striking out at him with uncanny speed. He dodged its first attempt but it doubled back with a ferocity, set on its target and this time it succeeded. Fangs buried themselves in his ankle and he snarled, reaching down with his claws to shred the shikigami to shreds. With its body destroyed it broke apart into dust and Inuyasha shook his foot, glaring. Whatever it had been it hadn’t actually bitten him, not physically anyways.

“What the fuck?!”

“Sango!” Miroku called out her name, gaining her attention and she realized he and Kagome had gotten out of the pool, him racing to her side and Kagome rushing over to Inuyasha. 

“Miroku, what the hell was that?” She asked, slightly bewildered and a bit concerned. Returning her wrist blade to its sheath she looked at him. Even though her skin was unblemished she still felt uneasy. Miroku took her wrist in his hands and frowned as he spoke.

“That was a shikigami sent by Tsubaki. We got a lot of information but apparently she was still able to break through our defenses enough to send them after us.” He answered, his heart beating fast. The shikigami had bitten her; he had seen it, watched it all as it unfolded. Everything had happened too fast for him to react, to do  _ anything _ at all, and now he was afraid its bite had left something behind inside her. Pushing her sleeve down he saw her skin was whole and there were no marks that he could see, no blood indicating any actual fangs had pierced through.

“It bit me, but there’s no wound. I don’t understand.” Sango said. She could see the concern on Miroku’s face and watched as he inspected her. After a moment he raised his eyes to her own and she swallowed.

“I don’t think it was meant to be a physical attack. Shikigami are constructs made of spiritual power and Tsubaki went to the trouble of sending these after us which leads me to believe there’s something more going on here. I want to check you over with my own power to make sure it didn’t leave anything behind.” Miroku told her and Sango nodded her consent.

Carefully, Miroku cast his reiki over and into her and she suppressed a shiver at the feel of it. Starting from her wrist and working his way across the whole of her body, Miroku was thorough in his search and he found nothing that didn’t belong. He even closed his eyes for a moment and, slipping into his meditative state again, peered into the shining light that was her soul and there was nothing but Sango there. Opening his eyes he met her darkened gaze and gave a slight shake of his head indicating he had found nothing amiss.

“There’s nothing that I could detect.” He confirmed. Despite his words, neither of them felt better. 

Kagome had dropped to her knees in front of Inuyasha, grabbing at his ankle and attempted her own inspection of him despite his protests that he was fine. Like Sango, there was no mark, no indication that anything had happened left behind on his skin. But she had seen it, and she knew it was likely something deeper that went into the soul. Because he was half demon she couldn't run her reiki through him like Miroku had done with Sango. So instead she had closed her eyes and inspected him with her mind’s eye, able to slip easily into her meditative trance again to look him over. There were no specks of darkness in the light of his soul and so she had no choice but to accept that there was nothing wrong with him.

“I can’t find anything wrong.” She admitted, rising to her feet and looking at him.

“I told ya I was fine.”

“I don’t have a good feeling about this.” She said anxiously. Still, she couldn’t actually prove anything was off about him.

Overhearing their conversation Sango silently agreed but said nothing. She could tell Miroku had his own reservations too, but that he didn’t want to worry her when there was nothing he could find, and therefore nothing he could do about it. Her wrist pulsed with another ache and she held back a grimace, telling herself it was all in her head. If neither he nor Kagome could find anything then that meant there was nothing to be nervous about. She just wished she truly believed that.

Once they had checked Sango and Inuyasha over and found nothing, Miroku and Kagome then told them everything they had learned. They described all the images in their visions in as much detail as they could, images that finally revealed Tsubaki’s location. Taking turns they recounted the telepathic conversation they had had with the dark priestess while Sango and Inuyasha listened intently until they were done.

“‘If you think that’s everything?’” Inuyasha repeated Tsubaki’s words, scowling. “What else is that bitch scheming? Fuck.” 

“I have no idea. Maybe it has to do with the ritual she plans for Naraku’s resurrection. Or maybe it’s something else.” Kagome shrugged unhappily, her face pensive.

“You said you saw the pages of a book in one of the images of your vision. Do you remember what was on it?” Sango asked.

“Now that I think about it-- yes. It was a spell for the resurrection of a half demon, and if I took some time I could probably recall all the details of the page.” Miroku replied after a moment.

“I think I could too. I would guess it's a page from that book of black magic she stole.” Kagome added.

“So we know her location now. We gonna go hunt this bitch down?” Inuyasha spoke what they had all been wondering.

“I mean, what else are we going to do? We can’t really form a plan without knowing exactly what we’re walking into but at the same time we can’t afford to wait around in hopes of her tipping her hand. Who knows when she intends to enact her plan and cast that spell.” Kagome pointed out.

“True, but she knows we found out where she is now. Who’s to say we won’t be walking into a trap?” Miroku returned. Once again he felt there was something they were missing about the shikigami that had attacked them. It seemed too simple coming from a woman who had the most evil of spells at her fingertips.

“Even if that’s the case we have no choice but to go. I don’t like being so unprepared when walking into enemy territory; not when we’re facing off against someone so powerful and evil. But our options are limited. All we can do is be careful.” Sango argued. “If necessary we’ll retreat but we have to at least try.”

“We should at least wait until tomorrow and try to get some rest. I would also like to take some time to write down what I can remember from that page we saw in the visions. I’m sure there was a reason we were given a glimpse at it; it has to be important.” Miroku replied.

“Fine, but we head out first thing tomorrow.” Inuyasha grumbled.

“Alright, it’s decided. We’ll get some rest then meet tomorrow and see what’s waiting for us at that address.” Kagome said. At her words they all left the building and made their way to the main residence. She wished them a good night and Sango waited for Miroku to change back into his regular clothes before they headed home themselves. On the drive back to her apartment they were silent for a bit, each considering all the many possibilities that tomorrow could bring. The shikigami's bite was an unspoken worry between them, hovering in the back of both of their minds.

“What do you think we’ll find tomorrow?” Sango finally asked him to take her mind off of it.

“I honestly have no idea. There’s so many possibilities that speculation is almost pointless.” Miroku shrugged as they pulled into her apartment complex.

“That’s true.” She sighed.

Once inside her apartment he grabbed a pen and a piece of paper and began to write down everything he could remember about the book page he had seen in the vision. When he was finished he looked up and saw Sango hadn't really moved, her face worried and lost in thought.

“Sango? What's wrong?”

She seemed to start at that and gave a small smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.

“It’s nothing.”

“The look on your face tells me it’s not nothing. What is it?”

She stared at her wrist for a long moment before answering.

“I know you didn’t find anything wrong, that you examined me very carefully-- but for some reason I can’t shake this feeling. I feel so uneasy; that something has been done to me and I just don’t know what it is yet.” She admitted after a slight hesitation.

“I know it goes against your nature to let yourself be protected but I want you to know this-- if anything happens, if that shikigami really did leave something behind that none of us could detect and it emerges...I’ll take care of it. I’ll save you. I won’t let you be swallowed up by some dark curse.” Miroku told her, moving to stand in front of her. He meant every word and hoped hearing them would help to soothe her fears.

Sango breathed deeply and exhaled, most of her tension disappearing. The sincerity and conviction in his voice was a balm to her soul and she relaxed. Somehow, when he said it like that, she believed him. 

“Thank you, Miroku. For what it’s worth, I’ll always save you, too.”

“It’s worth everything.”

He pulled her to him and placed his mouth upon hers. Kissing her gently, he cupped her cheek and used his other arm to cradle her to him. Sango rested her hands on his shoulders, leaning into it and kissing him back. This wasn’t a kiss that grew more passionate, leading to heated touches; this was a kiss of reassurance and a reminder that whatever awaited them tomorrow, they had each other and they would figure it out.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As usual thank you to my beta lavendertwilight89 and hnnwnchstr for being my hype girl <3
> 
> This chapter gets very intense! I love to see everyone's thoughts so please always feel free to drop a comment! I love comments <3 Enjoy!

When morning broke everyone prepared themselves for the visit to what had to be Tsubaki’s estate, eating quickly and dressing for a confrontation. Whatever was awaiting them at that house was not going to be friendly, but whether or not Tsubaki would be there remained to be seen. None of them thought she would, however; she knew they had found her location and also knew that they had to be coming for her. No, it was much more likely she was long gone and some kind of nasty surprise had been left behind for them. Still, this was the only real lead they had on her and they couldn’t afford to not pursue it. 

Sango and Miroku picked up Inuyasha and Kagome at the Higurashi Shrine and then they headed out once all their weapons were loaded up into the car. Sango used her phone’s GPS to lead the way to the address that had been revealed to them by the location ritual. None of them spoke as Sango drove, all of them feeling the pressure. A sense of trepidation hung in the air among them.

For Sango, part of that trepidation was due to the shikigami bite she had received the night before. Despite Miroku’s insistence that they hold off on pursuing Tsubaki until they all got some rest, she hadn’t gotten much sleep as she found it difficult to quiet her mind. Instead she spent the night trying not to toss and turn too much and disturb his own rather peaceful-looking slumber. His words had reassured her, but they still couldn’t completely quell the knot of anxiety in her chest or the way her instincts were screaming at her that something was off.

Eventually the place began to come into view as the car approached the address, and Miroku and Kagome both sat up straighter then leaned forward slightly, their eyes intent. As they grew closer the estate seemed to be closed off by a high brick wall winding around the whole of it, a black wrought-iron gate the only visible way in or out. The sight of all the Japanese ivy weaving its way through the bars and over the top as well as the sight of the placard detailing the address matched their vision exactly.

“This is it.” Kagome confirmed.

“It looks exactly like what we saw during the ritual.” Miroku agreed while Sango slowed the car down, stopping in front of the closed gate. 

“The gate’s closed. We may need to open it ourselves.” Sango remarked as the engine idled.

“Keh, that’s no problem. I’ll just--” Inuyasha began, but as he spoke the gate started to move, opening inwards and allowing them entrance onto the estate grounds.

“That was very ominous.” Kagome said. “Who...who do you think opened it?”

“I have no idea, but I’m going in.” Sango replied as she drove past the gate and up the path of the driveway stretching before them, finally coming to a stop in front of the imposing structure. It was just like what Miroku and Kagome had described in the images the location ritual had revealed to them.

The house, if you could call it that, was huge. It stretched three stories high, the western-style mansion made of brick the color of charcoal and the slanting roof tiled with gray terracotta shingles. The curtains were drawn on all the windows, a solid black that contrasted with the dingy white of the window panes and shutters; they were the only spot of light in a sea of darkness. Even though it was the middle of the day and the sun was shining brightly, the mansion seemed to swallow any illumination, replacing it with shadows. An aura of evil surrounded the place, but considering who it belonged to and the kinds of things that must have taken place within its walls, that observation held no answers as to what waited for them inside.

Leaving the confines of the car they all retrieved their weapons and walked up the steps to stand before the tall red doors. After a slight hesitation by everyone, Inuyasha scoffed and gripped the door handle firmly before unceremoniously yanking it wide open.

“We gonna stand here all day or are we gonna go in?” He snarked as he strode inside and they followed closely behind after exchanging glances between themselves. Despite his blase attitude, his senses were on high alert; his ears, eyes, and nose taking everything in and searching for any possible threats. 

Carefully, Sango and Miroku entered last right behind Kagome, who lingered close to Inuyasha’s side while gripping her bow tightly. As they stepped fully across the dark threshold the door swung shut behind them with an air of finality, sealing them inside. A sense of dread began to pool within Sango’s stomach and she had the very morbid thought of feeling as though the house around them had become a tomb. As if sensing the direction of her thoughts, Miroku lightly brushed her hand with his own and she released a breath at the reassuring touch but otherwise gave no outward acknowledgement of his gesture. The brief moment passed between them and they readied themselves for a fight.

When the door slammed shut Kagome gave a squeak of surprise but otherwise made no move other than to cast her gaze about. It was futile due to the darkness that encompassed everything. The only one of them who had a hope of seeing anything was Inuyasha, with his demonic senses. And then suddenly it wasn’t dark anymore as the lights came on with the same eerie abruptness of the entrance gate opening and the front doors closing.

Blinking rapidly against the sudden influx of white light, Sango waited for her eyes to adjust before scanning their surroundings. Marble flooring stretched from where they stood in a large foyer, continuing beyond the doorways at the far side of the hall. From the ceiling hung a grand chandelier encrusted with crystals that sparkled from the wash of light it cast all over the entryway, bright and blinding. A split staircase began on either side of the foyer, the railings and banisters made of a fine dark wood, before rising a story high and meeting in the middle, a balcony connecting them and overlooking the entryway. The whole scene radiated opulence. And there, up on the balcony, was a little boy sitting on the railing with his feet dangling over the edge. 

“You’re here!” He cheered, grinning widely and displaying a set of fangs. His hair was white with a soft wave to it, falling just past his ears and it added to the image of cute innocence he projected, along with the boyish set to his features; the softness of his mouth and the roundness of his cheeks. But it was his eyes that gave him away-- they were glowing red embers devoid of anything but a thirst for chaos and suffering. Looking into their depths it was impossible to mistake this demon for anything other than what he truly was. Despite the unmistakable physical signs the little boy didn’t give off a demonic aura. In fact, he gave off no aura at all.

“I’ve been waiting since last night and I’m _soooo_ bored!” He continued with a pout, gripping the railing he was sitting on with his hands and beginning to swing his legs. 

“Who the fuck are you and where the fuck is Tsubaki?” Inuyasha demanded.

“I'm Satoshi!” The demon told them, smiling again. “As for Tsubaki, she couldn’t make it and sends her regrets. Don’t worry, though! I’ve been ordered to stay behind and entertain you.”

“Entertain us how?” Miroku questioned, feeling a sense of foreboding creep over him.

“You’ll see. It’s going to be _so_ much fun.” Satoshi replied, his smile shifting to something more sinister. He raised a hand and snapped his fingers. At the gesture both Sango and Inuyasha felt something inside them emerge and take root. It quickly spread throughout the whole of their bodies and Satoshi laughed, red eyes narrowing in glee as he took in his handiwork. They both winced, Sango wrapping her arms around herself to try to steady herself and Inuyasha gripping his head with a hand as if the sheer force of his will could hold whatever this was at bay. It was clear they were both trying to fight something inside themselves and Miroku and Kagome watched with growing concern, unsure of what was happening or what to do.

“What have you done to them?!” Kagome cried, looking from Inuyasha to Sango before focusing her gaze on Satoshi. Even as she yelled out her question a part of her already knew the answer.

“I triggered the curse lying in wait inside them just now, a curse delivered to them by the shikigami’s bite. It’s not something you can sense with your spiritual powers if it’s dormant which is why you probably found nothing last night.” Satoshi explained. “I bet you and the monk tried, though, didn’t you? Hehehe!” 

“That explains why we couldn’t sense anything wrong.” Miroku said grimly.

“That curse is my specialty. I can take complete control over anyone and make them do _whatever_ I want! These guys are supposed to be your protectors, right? Well now they’re your enemies!” Satoshi’s childish voice was full of delight and he clapped his hands together in excitement.

During this whole exchange Sango gasped, feeling something burrowing through her and it felt as though it was hooking itself into her every muscle and joint, taking total control. Biting her lip hard enough to taste her own blood, she struggled against it but felt herself losing the battle.

_‘Attack him. Hurt him. Break his bones. You want to see his blood.’_

She shook her head as if she could rid herself of the voice inside but it was no use. More of the same words kept echoing, each rendition more adamant than the last until she was trembling from the force of resisting its commands. Something uninvited had taken up residence inside her, just as she had feared, and in a matter of moments it was going to completely overtake her. Force her to do its dark bidding, to hurt Miroku. _No!_ Seconds later she wasn’t even able to move her head, paralyzed and at the complete mercy of this dark thing controlling her.

“Miroku...get away from me. Do it...now!” She managed, forming the words with an immense effort before the last bit of control she had over herself slipped away. Feeling like a stranger inside her own body, she began to reach back to take hold of her Hiraikotsu, preparing to attack.

Looking at her, Miroku saw the blankness of her face and the dead look in her eyes and knew she had been wholly consumed by the curse. That plea had been her last bit of resistance before finally succumbing and he backed away from her, trying to think quickly. If this Satoshi was going to have them fight each other, then removing the curse from her was going to prove extremely difficult.

Only a few feet separated them before Sango swung her Hiraikotsu at him and he ducked, barely avoiding it. The gust of wind stirred up by her weapon passing over his head ruffled his hair and he swallowed. There had been no mistaking the strength or speed behind her attack; she wasn’t holding back. If she landed a hit on him with that weapon it was over. He inwardly swore, putting more distance between them but she attacked again just as swiftly, this time actually throwing the boomerang at him. It cut through the air and he sidestepped just in time, sticking his shakujo out to the side as he did so to knock the weapon off course. 

Her Hiraikotsu struck his shakujo, its rings clinking harshly, and her weapon continued on to crash into the wall behind him rather than return to her waiting grip. The force from the collision between his shakujo and her Hiraikotsu caused him to stumble a bit, sending shocks up his right arm. Sango took advantage of the opening to close the distance he had worked to create between them, drawing her wakizashi. In a matter of seconds she was on him and Miroku had only a split second to regain his footing and defend himself against her attack. Gripping it with both hands he held his shakujo out in front of him to block her sword’s strike. She bore down on him harder, and he gritted his teeth as he pushed back. God, she was so strong. Normally it was a quality he greatly admired in her but right now it was proving to be a problem.

~☆~

Inuyasha was facing his own internal battle, growling and gritting his teeth against the way this thing was infiltrating his very being. He was rapidly losing to the evil presence rising up inside of him. It flowed through him until it had him strung like a marionette. Dark thoughts swirled in his head, taunting him and urging him to do horrible things.

_‘Rip her to pieces. Tear the bitch apart with your bare hands. Taste her blood like the animal you are.’_

“Kagome...get the fuck away from me right _now_ .” He snarled, trying to step away from her but unable to make himself move on his own accord. _Fuck._ What the hell had this fucking brat done? Those insidious whispers inside his mind became louder with each passing second, the demands soon impossible to ignore. That last shred of control he had a hold of disappeared into nothing and his own will was forced into submission as he became possessed by the curse.

Kagome hastily moved away from him, her eyes wide. She hated it but she also knew he was right. Inuyasha advanced on her and she felt the full weight of all his youki directed at her for the first time and shivered. The slight flexing of his hands was her only warning before he attacked with all of his demonic speed, his claws poised to rend through her soft, vulnerable flesh. Kagome raised a barrier to shield herself, almost instinctively holding her hands out in front of her and effectively cutting off his attack. 

Her barrier didn’t seem to slow him down or even faze him; he only snarled louder, baring his fangs as he tried to get to her. Slowly backing away from him, her mind raced as she tried to consider her options and he followed her every step of the way, never easing in the ferocity of his attack. What could she possibly do? She refused to fire a sacred arrow at him; it was already hard enough to maintain her barrier even knowing that it hurt him. But what choice did she have if she wanted to avoid getting hurt herself? Sparing a glance around she noticed Sango was fighting Miroku and he was facing a similar struggle to hers, doing his best to fend off her assault. 

An idea occurred to her and keeping her barrier up around her she planted her feet into a stance, pulling her bow from its place over her shoulder and notching it with an arrow. If she could get to the demon pulling their strings, then surely his death would break the curse. Doing her best to block out the sounds of Inuyasha snarling at her and the buzzing of her barrier as it warded him off, she prepared to fire. Taking aim and being careful not to hit Inuyasha, Kagome let the sacred arrow fly. It shot straight towards where Satoshi still sat on the railing of the balcony but rather than sinking into him and purifying his evil it...passed through him? Kagome blinked in confusion.

Satoshi laughed at her attempt and turned his red stare upon her.

“Oh, come on little priestess. You didn’t think I’d keep my real body out here in the open and so vulnerable to attack, did you? You guys are scary!” He fake shivered before laughing again.

~☆~

With all the strength and agility she possessed, Sango swung at Miroku with her wakizashi again, crouching low to aim at his knees and he nimbly dodged out of the way. She twisted her body as she rose to her feet in the same breath and followed up with a spinning kick, landing a solid hit directly to his abdomen. It sent him sprawling onto the ground with a loud grunt. _Shit_. The breath had been totally knocked from him for a split second. 

"Oooh! That's gotta hurt." Satoshi remarked in mock sympathy from his perch as he watched them fight.

Landing lightly on her feet Sango relentlessly continued her attack, lunging forward and striking down at where he lay prone on the floor. Relying on his instincts more than anything, Miroku quickly rolled to the side and regained his feet, even as he groaned in pain, narrowly avoiding her latest strike. The clang of metal as her blade met the marble of the floor where he laid a second before was loud and echoed around them. There was no pause in her assault, and in one smooth motion she lifted her sword and spun towards him again.

 _'That’s definitely going to leave a mark,'_ he thought as he dodged and blocked more of her attacks. She was like a panther, sleek and deadly. Her muscles were so powerful and he had never fully appreciated that fact until this very moment. He knew how sculpted they were, of course; he had had the most wonderful privilege of having seen them up close and intimately, after all. But he had never had all that graceful, lethal strength directed at him with intent to kill. Sango was not in control of herself and she wasn’t holding back. He came to the realization that although he didn’t want to hurt her he was going to have to fight her more seriously unless he wanted to get badly injured himself. Or killed.

After exchanging a flurry of blows, Miroku managed to evade her next strike and quickly grabbed her sword arm at the elbow with his left hand. Moving fast he ducked under her arm to step behind her, twisting it with the motion and sticking out his foot to trip her. The pain from having her arm pulled at such an unnatural angle didn’t seem to affect her at all, the grip on her wakizashi failing to loosen. Miroku frowned at the observation. 

Sango tripped, but rather than stumble she used the forward momentum to free herself from his hold, yanking her arm from his grasp. As she moved she turned around in the space of a breath to swing her wakizashi at his neck, planting a foot behind herself to stabilize her weight and reestablish the distance between them. Miroku leaned back in the same instant and barely avoided having his throat cut by her blade. Fire burned from where it had grazed him, leaving behind a thin red line showing just how close she had come. A drop of blood trickled its way down his neck as he breathed hard. 

"And the slayer draws first blood!" Satoshi cheered, fully enjoying himself. "Uh oh, she almost got you. Was it scary? I bet it was! Hehehe!"

"I thought Tsubaki wanted me and Kagome alive so she could take our reiki. Isn't this counter-productive?" He managed to call back, whirling out of the way from another lightning quick strike from Sango.

"Hmmm. I mean I guess that would make her happy but you know, you guys have been so mean and annoying lately that I don't think she cares anymore. Dead or alive, it doesn't matter!" He replied, shrugging. “I think she’d prefer alive but, well, I’m just having _so much_ fun!”

Still trying to think of possible solutions to this impossible situation, Miroku’s mind raced. Sango’s body was a weapon all on its own, but Miroku figured if he could manage to divest her of her actual weapon then he stood a better chance. The way things were going now, he was never going to get close enough to pin her down long enough to free her from the control of the curse. He had no idea if she was aware of everything she was doing or if she had blacked it out. It didn't matter, because either way he had made her a promise and he intended to keep it. 

~☆~

Kagome had her back against the wall, watching as the half demon she was in love with tried desperately to break through her barrier so he could rip her to pieces. Inuyasha had not eased up in his attempts to get to her, snarling and slashing at her with his claws. Looking into his eyes, she saw only feral emptiness in place of his usual fire and unwavering determination.

"Wow, look at all those burns! That's gotta sting. Do you think he feels them?" Satoshi wondered aloud to her before giving an evil grin. "I hope he does."

"You're awful!" Kagome yelled back, her voice cracking with emotion. She wanted to wrap him in every spark of her power and squeeze until there weren't even any ashes left behind of him. Erase him into pure nothingness.

"Oooh, I just _love_ that look on your face, little priestess!" He clapped his hands together in twisted joy.

"Shut up!!!" 

Each time Inuyasha's hands came in contact with her barrier they fried; Kagome didn't know how much more of this she could take. Tears filled her eyes, so close to spilling over and sliding down her pale cheeks. His hands were raw and beginning to bleed; she could see all the horrible burns it was causing, smell the singed flesh, and it made her want to be sick. By protecting herself she was also hurting him and she couldn't stand it anymore. 

Even though she realized what a terrible decision it was she found herself unable to cause him any more pain. Bracing herself, she lowered her barrier and moved quickly to the side, trying to dodge the sweeping strike of his claws. She was no match for his inhuman speed and he raked his talons over her side, drawing blood and causing her to scream out in pain. Reflexively, she lashed out with one of her hands and released a small shock of her power directly into his chest, sending him stumbling backwards away from her. Gasping, her other hand clutched at where he had slashed her and she felt the wetness of her blood.

“Oooh, he got you good!!” Satoshi observed, grinning and cocking his head as he watched them. “Hmm, but you messed up his hands pretty good too. So exciting!”

  
  


Locked inside his mind, Inuyasha was aware of everything but he couldn’t fucking _do_ anything, couldn’t stop himself. The anguish in Kagome’s eyes was just about to kill him, but that was nothing compared to when he felt his claws rip into her, felt her blood on his hands. Being the cause of her pain, hurting her...it was one of his worst fears. Why couldn’t he fucking _fight_ it?! 

Inhaling, the smell of Kagome’s blood washed over him and overrode his senses. It was the scent of his _mate’s_ blood, and it called to his demonic half. She was bleeding, she was in pain, she was scared, and none of these things were acceptable to it; her wellbeing was of the utmost importance. His inner demon began to rise in response, attempting to overtake the curse and keep him from harming her further. For the first time in his life Inuyasha did not fight the way it tried to take control. Instead, he welcomed it, standing frozen in place as the strong surge in his youki and aura competed with the commands of the curse running through him.

  
  


Kagome stood there, watching him in confusion and a little fear as he breathed harshly and growled. His limbs jerked as if trying to resist the geass of the curse and when he lifted his arms it wasn’t to reach for her but to clutch at his head. Holding her breath, her mind raced as she took in his struggle. Was he fighting it? But how? Had hurting her been the catalyst, allowing him to break through?

Then his aura expanded, billowing out from him in a wave as purple streaks slowly appeared on his face. The whites of his eyes were shifting to red as his golden irises changed into a startling blue. The demon half of him was rising and she stared as he transformed before her eyes, unsure of what was happening now. Was this him fighting the curse or was the curse taking control of his demon side? She had no idea and prayed it was the former.

~☆~

Exchanging a flurry of blows, Sango soon had Miroku cornered with his back against the wall. Raising his shakujo between them he blocked her next strike, sweat trickling down the side of his face. After a short struggle he managed to drive her back a step, thrusting his staff up and out, pushing her wakizashi to the side. With a quick maneuver, Miroku hooked the blade through the loop on the top of his shakujo before pulling up with his staff. It effectively disarmed her and her sword clattered to the marble floor several feet away from where they stood. Wasting no time, Miroku swung his shakujo in the same swift motion at her ankles and knocked her off her feet.

Following her down, he straddled her stomach as he held his shakujo in front of him to try and purify the curse from her. As he leaned forward Sango brought her arms up, triggering the blades at her wrists. He swore and jerked away but was unable to avoid both of them, dodging one as the other cut deep into his right forearm. It sliced through the jacket he was wearing and drew blood, causing him to hiss in a breath and let out a low grunt of pain. Red drops splattered onto her cheek from the wound.

Using all his strength Miroku was finally able to capture both of her wrists in his left hand, pinning them above her head after managing to resheath the blades; there were cuts all over his hands from his efforts. Sango struggled beneath him and he laid his body over hers, pressing down onto her with all his weight to hold her in place. Grabbing his shakujo in his right hand and ignoring the pain the motion caused his wounds, he pushed down onto her with it.

  
  


Since the moment it had taken hold of her, Sango had been trying to fight the curse. There was no blissful ignorance of what it was making her do; she was awake and aware for all of it. Feeling like a marionette having its strings pulled, she moved with deadly precision against Miroku, unable to regain control of her body despite her best efforts. Although she was sure her face had remained a mask of impassivity throughout all her attacks, Sango was screaming inside the prison of her mind the whole time. _‘No!! Stop, please! I don’t want to do this!’_

She had come so close to ending his life already, the fear of it consuming her. Miroku was holding his own, if just barely, but he didn’t have the specialized training she did and he wouldn’t last in a prolonged fight. The thought of possibly killing the man she loved with her own hands...she wouldn’t be able to bear it. 

Desperately, she tried to hold back but it was useless. Hating what this demon and his curse were making her do, her emotional turmoil continued to mount. It skyrocketed when she sliced deep into Miroku’s arm with her wrist blades and felt the splash of his blood dripping onto her face where she lay beneath him. As if her emotional distress was so great it could no longer be contained within the confines of her body, tears pooled in her deadened eyes. Despite the lifeless set to her features, Sango began to cry, the tears trailing down the sides of her face. She saw Miroku look at her, his indigo gaze widening as he noticed her silent weeping. 

“Sango?” He whispered, but she couldn’t respond, could barely even see him anymore as her vision blurred with more unshed tears.

“This is getting boring now. Bleh!” Satoshi complained, his eyes narrowing as he took in the sight. “Why don’t we spice it up?”

Control returned to Sango’s body in a rush, the compulsion to attack Miroku and cause him pain disappearing entirely. Just as quickly her ability to breathe was stolen away, her lungs refusing to work. Life returned to her eyes as she stared at Miroku desperately, no longer fighting against him. Her mouth opened but she was unable to take a breath or speak.

“What are you doing to her?!” Miroku demanded, raising his head to glare at the smug demon.

“She’s under my total control, dummy. She can’t even breathe without my say so, and right now I _don’t_ say so! Hehehe!”

Miroku was furious, but he had no time to spare for the demon. Working quickly he sent his power into her, seeking out the curse. He had to find a way to break it and fast. Noticing the way she began to pull at his grip on her wrists, Miroku knew her air was running out. Lowering his mouth to hers he breathed for her, hoping it was enough until he could fix her.

“Hmmm, do you think you can save her before she suffocates? Let’s make it a race!” Satoshi called out. Miroku ignored him, everything in him consumed by his need to save the woman suffering beneath him.

After taking a moment to focus, he located the curse and almost recoiled in grim shock. It was spiderwebbed throughout the whole of her soul, lines of darkness beginning from where it had entered at her wrist. Pouring himself into her, he began to purify it, starting from the point of origin where it was thickest. He went as fast as he dared, but it was so entangled with her soul that the process was difficult. Pausing in his efforts he lowered his mouth to hers again, breathing for her once more.

“Please, fight it. Just hold on a little longer. I’m going to save you.” He swore, his voice fervent and his eyes intent. She gave a barely perceptible nod.

Returning his attention to the curse, Miroku came to an unpleasant realization as he worked through each tendril of darkness-- this was taking too long. Fueled by his own desperation, he made the decision that he couldn’t afford to spare the time to be as careful in its removal as he would have ordinarily liked. This was going to hurt her, and if he could take the pain he was about to cause her and place it upon himself he would without hesitation. 

“This is going to hurt, and I’m so sorry.” He whispered the apology to Sango before he blasted through the curse with all of his power, erasing it in its entirety. All the darkness vaporized under the burning assault of his reiki and suddenly Sango could breathe again.

Sango had a single moment to draw in a breath to her air-starved lungs before the pain engulfed her. Oh God, she had never felt anything as excruciating as this in her life, not even when her possessed brother had almost killed her. She screamed at the agony of the curse being ripped from her very being; it felt like her soul had been lit on fire. Miroku had warned her it was going to hurt but this was far more awful than anything she could have imagined. When the worst of the pain had passed her screaming stopped and she gasped for air, tears still leaking from her eyes. Blinking, her vision came back into focus and she could see Miroku's face above hers, his expression one of concern and distress. 

"Thank you." She whispered to him.

~☆~

Kagome watched as Inuyasha's demon blood took control, but he made no move towards her. When his eyes raised to her face and focused on her she gasped; the emptiness was gone and in its place was the intensity she was familiar with. They weren't the beautiful gold she was used to but she could tell it was finally _him_ looking at her and not the curse. Had he fought it off??

"I-Inuyasha?" She asked hesitantly and he growled in response.

 **"Kagome...I can't...fight this off. This...is the most...I can do."** He grunted out, his voice a deep demonic rasp, each word an effort as his muscles strained against the compulsion of the curse.

"What?"

**"My demon blood...is holding it off...because you're my mate...and your blood...but it can't erase it. You...have to purify it. Do it."**

"Purify it?! But I don't know what that will do to you!" Kagome cried out, feeling the blood in her veins turn to ice. If she purified it, she would likely also purify the demon half of him in the process. It would be unavoidable.

**"Fuck, Kagome, just do it! I want you to do this. It’s better than being forced to hurt you.”**

The fact that she had his permission didn't make this any easier. Still, what choice did they have? Stepping forward, she placed her hands on his shoulders and looked inside him with her power, finding the curse. It was nasty and malignant, tendrils of black woven tightly into his soul. Inuyasha gave a pained gasp at the feel of her power moving through him, tensing under her hands, but offered no resistance.

“Hehehe! Wow, so you’re really going to do it, huh? Use your power on him? This is turning out better than I imagined!” Satoshi exclaimed in glee, enjoying the struggle of their physical and emotional suffering. He doubtlessly thought she was going to purify _him_ rather than the curse, although the two things weren’t mutually exclusive. Resolutely ignoring him, Kagome focused all her attention on the man before her. What she was about to do...it made her heart clench and she prepared herself.

“I’m sorry, Inuyasha.” She whispered, the tears in her eyes finally spilling over to slide down her cheeks. With those words she poured herself into the purification of the curse, shutting her eyes tightly so she didn’t have to see the agony on his face as she began her work. His body convulsed and hoarse shouts of pain escaped him while her reiki flowed through him, cleansing the evil wrapped into his soul. Removing every last trace of black from him, her power burned through it until he was almost screaming at the feeling. When it was done and the curse was broken she opened her eyes and released him, crying and breathing hard.

Inuyasha was human, black hair replacing the gilded silver and midnight blue eyes glazed over with pain staring into hers. Even though she knew this was the only possible outcome she was still shocked; she had done this to him. A small part of her crumpled in on itself in guilt and sorrow at seeing the reality before her. He gasped and fell to his knees and she knelt beside him, wrapping her arms around him and holding him tightly to her. His mind was still hazy, his body still overwhelmed at the intense ordeal it had just gone through. The immediate dulling of his senses only added to his disorientation and he groaned. 

“Please tell me what I did isn’t permanent. That I didn’t make you irreversibly human!” Kagome cried, pulling away to stare into his face in worry.

“I don’t know. Maybe, maybe not. It’s too early to tell. Even if you did, there are worse things.” Inuyasha replied, his tongue thick in his mouth. He felt so fucking weak and hated it but he didn’t blame Kagome. Being human was better than the alternative-- being used and controlled to hurt her, possibly even kill her. Looking her over his eyes dropped to the wound in her side and he felt a stab of guilt. She had dodged the worst of it but while it was hard to tell with her sweater still on, judging from the blood staining the fabric it was far more than a scratch. The slight pallor to her cheeks only convinced him further of that fact.

Coming down from the adrenaline of the fight, the pain was starting to push through and Kagome stifled a moan but was unable to completely keep her expression from twisting into a grimace. She attempted to turn her face away so Inuyasha couldn’t see but knew it was a futile attempt. There was no way he wasn’t aware of the injury he had inflicted or the pain it was causing her, but at least she would heal from this. What she had done to him...she had no idea if it was something he would recover from or if she had forever erased his demonic side, rendering him human for good. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she forced herself to focus on their surroundings. 

Vaguely, Kagome heard echoes of other more feminine screams around them and realized Miroku had to be destroying the curse from Sango. Even though her best friend was human it still had to have hurt when Miroku basically ripped it out of her rather than taking his time purifying it, like something as twisted as that typically required. The situation they were in...time wasn’t a luxury afforded to them. At least it seemed they were all free from this demon’s control at last.

  
  


Sango moaned in pain as Miroku released her wrists finally, getting up off of her and pulling her to her feet to stand. He held her to him as she tried to regain her bearings. Physically, she was mostly okay but she felt exhausted and frayed at the edges, like something inside of her was scraped and raw. At least her tears had finally stopped and she could breathe. Miroku had kept his word and saved her, just as he had said he would.

He smoothed his aura over her, helping to alleviate the worst of the rawness of her soul, and she breathed a sigh of relief. It was a temporary fix until it could recover and heal on its own but for now it would do; they weren’t out of the woods yet.

Looking up, they noticed the demon boy had disappeared from his perch on the balcony’s railing. A glance around revealed nothing and, after Sango and Kagome had retrieved their weapons from where they lay on the floor, an unspoken communication passed between all of them and they gathered in the middle of the foyer. This wasn’t over and they were all waiting for the next shoe to drop.

“What next?” Kagome asked. Inuyasha stood by her side, human and scowling. There was no time to ask what had happened, but Sango and Miroku were able to draw their own conclusions. They also hadn’t missed the blood on Kagome’s sweater or the pallor to her cheeks, but she seemed able enough for the time being so the worry for her and Inuyasha’s wellbeing along with all the questions pressing on their minds would have to wait.

“We find that fucker and feed him his own spleen.” Sango answered her question savagely. She was beyond angry. Not only had that demon seen fit to place her under his control, he had made her harm Miroku and she would make sure he paid dearly for that. Miroku’s arm was still bleeding as were all the cuts on his hands, not to mention all the other injuries he had received from his fight with her. She was _pissed._

“Well, this is no fun anymore. You broke my toys.” Satoshi pouted as he emerged from below the balcony and stood in front of them, seeming to materialize out of nowhere. “And it was just getting good, too.”

Within seconds Kagome had an arrow strung onto her bow and was firing at him, also burning with rage. She didn’t think she had ever been so angry in her life. Just like before, the arrow passed through him before sinking into the far wall with a _thunk_.

"Tsk tsk. Didn't I tell you I wouldn't make it so easy for you?” He chided her, wagging his finger. “Besides, I wouldn't waste any more arrows on a projection.”

“You realize Tsubaki left you behind just to slow us down, not because she actually expected you to succeed.” Miroku said. “Where did she go? Or will you protect a woman who left you as a sacrifice 'til the end?”

Satoshi shrugged, trying to act unconcerned but it was evident now that he was on edge. The childish grin he had been wearing had faded, his eyes a baleful red glare.

“She’s not here anymore and she didn’t tell me where she was going. Hmm, who knows? Guess you guys are out of luck.”

Kagome’s power flared around them suddenly, encompassing the entire room. Her breath came faster, her anger lending her strength. She let it fuel her, her emotions of horror, heartbreak, and rage coursing through her and releasing her from everything that made her feel like she wasn’t enough. All her life she had been told she was incredibly powerful, that she was the strongest priestess in generations, but she had never truly felt like she was deserving of such words. She had always wondered if maybe they were a bit mistaken or hasty in their assessment of her abilities. Over the past month her confidence had grown as she practiced more and began using her power more offensively, but that bit of self-doubt had always lingered just below the surface, holding her back. However, right now there was no room left in her for any of that, only her burning need to purify this demon, make him pay for what he had forced her to do-- _all_ of them to do-- and destroy his evil from this world. It consumed her. A mere projection wouldn’t stop her. 

Calling everything to her she honed her senses and focused with the full weight of her power. It was ridiculously easy to find where Satoshi truly lied in wait within the house; Kagome felt like she could do anything she set her mind to. Stringing another arrow onto her bow, she prepared to fire again and send the arrow directly to him this time, sending him straight to hell. An emotion resembling fear passed over Satoshi’s face and for the first time he looked worried.

“You know, even if you do manage to hit my real body and kill me it’ll only be more trouble for you guys. My life is tied to all the wards holding back the demons deep inside this house. If you kill me you’ll be setting _alllllll_ of them free.”

“So what? Is that supposed to scare us?” Sango scoffed, grip tightening on her sword.

“It should. Your half breed friend is human and useless and you humans are banged up pretty good.” 

“Who fucking cares! We’ll manage just fine once you’re dead.” Kagome fired her arrow, imbuing it with power and this time as it hit his projection it disappeared through a portal of pink light. With her spiritual senses she knew her sacred arrow had emerged through the same type of portal in front of his real body and slammed into his chest. It was also clear from the way his projection looked stricken, staring at his chest then back up at her, eyes wide.

“How…? Doesn’t matter...you’ll never find...her in time.” With those last words his real body turned to ash from the purification while the projection before them seemed to burn up. Within seconds of his death an immense demonic aura pressed down upon all of them, proving his words about the wards to be true. After several tense moments it appeared nothing was going to immediately come after them and Sango took a step forward. 

“I take it we’re goin’ in.” Inuyasha remarked. He felt fucking useless without any of his demonic powers or senses, but he still had his mind and his fighting skills. He might be lacking in strength at the moment but if everyone else could fight as a human then so could he. He’d be damned if he held anyone back. His hands were burned and bleeding but pain had always been more of an annoyance than an actual deterrent to him.

“Yes. I figure that even if Tsubaki has cleared out, this place has been her base of operations for ages. She might have left something behind that we could use. Besides, I can’t in good conscience leave after the release of whatever this demonic presence is. It’s our responsibility to take care of it now.” Sango replied, reaching back to grip her Hiraikotsu. She could use something to tear into right now anyways, truthfully; all her pent-up anger needed an outlet.

“Sango’s right. Besides, after everything we just went through I’m not leaving until we find some answers.” Kagome said with determination.

“Well then, what are we waiting for?” Miroku voiced his agreement, moving forward and they all finally made their way further into the mansion, walking to the end of the foyer and through the door on the far side. All the lights seemed to be turned on, guiding their way as they all trekked deeper. Sango didn’t miss the way Miroku seemed to be breathing a little more heavily or favoring his right arm, holding his shakujo in his left hand. That observation made her notice his hands and the way they were smeared with red from the cuts bleeding on his palms. She couldn’t help but feel bad about all his injuries even though logic told her she was blameless. 

Minutes passed and just when they were all beginning to wonder when they would finally come upon the source of the demonic aura, suddenly it got stronger in front of the door they were about to pass through. Sango glanced at Inuyasha and felt sympathy for him as a fellow warrior; he had to be feeling crippled and she didn’t think that rusty sword would be much use against what they would face without his demonic energy to feed into it. She removed an extra blade she kept inside her boot-- only a dagger really-- but she figured it would be better than nothing and held it out to him. He looked at what she wordlessly offered him and gave a short nod of thanks, taking it. 

Then they were through the door and stepping foot into a huge cavernous room with columns supporting the vaulted ceiling. Along the top was a wrap-around balcony that could be accessed by the ornate staircase placed at the very far end of the room. To the left of where they stood was a set of huge red doors that stretched almost to the ceiling, opened wide into darkness, and swarming into the room from the depths were demons.

All four of them assessed the situation and sprung into action. They seemed countless but the demons weren’t too powerful on their own. It was only because of their sheer numbers that they posed any kind of threat and truthfully the four of them had all faced so much worse. This was nothing but a chore in comparison.

Charging into the room, Sango swung her Hiraikotsu and felt a vicious satisfaction as it cut through the horde before returning to her grip for her to release again. She spun as she caught it, her momentum adding more force to her next throw. Miroku murmured an incantation and threw out his sutras, purifying everything in the line they traveled before they latched onto the floor and activated a trap that captured any demons caught within. With another incantation the power in the sutras flared and incinerated them into ash. Kagome was hanging back a little further, destroying the demons in a volley of pink rain, her arrows flying fast and true. Any time a demon came a little too close to Kagome, Inuyasha made short work of them with the help of Sango’s dagger. He might be human but he still took his duty of protecting her seriously and he would sooner die than let one touch a hair on her head.

Soon the flow of demons began to ebb but there didn’t seem to be a decrease in the demonic aura. The reason for that became evident as another demon emerged through the enormous doors, this one larger and not quite as low level as the others. It was huge, its monstrous head almost brushing the top of the door frame as it entered the vicinity. The floor almost trembled with every step it took.

“Is that a fucking oni?” Inuyasha demanded, sounding annoyed.

“Yes. Looks like Tsubaki had one trapped in this place to attack any intruders in the event the wards holding back all her demons failed.” Sango replied, unconcerned.

The oni’s body was red and muscled, barrel-chested with arms and legs thick as tree trunks. Yellow horns protruded from its head and matched the long fangs jutting from its mouth, the image not softened in the slightest by the black mane of hair wreathing its head. It was naked save for a loincloth covering its lower half and the massive spiked club it wielded in its right hand was almost as long as it was. Baleful orange eyes glowed under the heavy ridge of its brow and it growled at them, the sound loud and menacing.

“I have one arrow left.” Kagome told them.

“Better make it count, then.” Inuyasha said. “Sango and I will fight and distract it while you and Miroku work on purifying it.”

“We can weave a net with our power around it to trap it but it will take some concentration. We’re both a little drained after-- after earlier. But Inuyasha...be careful.”

“Keh. I’ll be fine.”

“Sounds like a plan to me.” Sango said, readying her Hiraikotsu, then addressed Inuyasha. “If you draw its attention I’ll attack.”

“Looks like I’ve been volunteered. Shall we?” Miroku said to Kagome and she gave a decisive nod.

They each met the charge of the oni, slipping in their decided roles. Kagome and Miroku focused their power, sending it out into strands and mingling them together, invisible to the naked eye while Inuyasha shouted insults and taunted the demon, dodging out of the way of its heavy club at the last second.

Running up behind it while Inuyasha kept it distracted, Sango threw her weapon and the oni whirled around at the last second to smack it out of the air. Silently cursing, she leapt towards where it fell, catching it and spinning to block the strike of his club hurtling towards her. The force sent her back several feet and she bent her knees, preparing to attack again.

“Hey, ugly! Come and get it!” Inuyasha snarked, drawing its attention back to him. The thing about oni was that although they were big and strong, they weren’t too bright. It lumbered towards him again, reaching out with its left hand to cut off his path around the room. Quickly pivoting to run the other way he rolled under the swing of its club. It roared, turning fast and snatched at him again and without his demonic speed Inuyasha found himself caught.

Sango dashed forward and threw her Hiraikotsu, aiming low and it cut the oni off at the knees with brutal efficiency. The blow forced the oni to open the fist it had wrapped around Inuyasha, dropping him to the floor as it bellowed its rage and pain, falling forward. Inuyasha got out of the way of its descent before it crashed all the way down and Sango caught her Hiraikotsu again. Not losing any of her momentum, she bounded up and ran over one of its legs to its back just as it began to attempt to rise. Settling her Hiraikotsu upon her own back she drew her wakizashi and grabbed a fistful of its mane to keep from falling.

That was the other thing about oni-- pain did little to deter them, often only pissing them off. And this one was definitely pissed. It snarled, the sound echoing in the space around them. Reaching back, it attempted to swipe at Sango but she dodged its attempts and lashed out with her sword, removing one of its fingers and it howled louder. Quickly climbing her way up to the top of its head, she resisted its efforts to shake her off and then swung herself down in front of its face, anchoring herself with another handful of its dark mane. Kicking off with her feet, she rocked back before swinging forward towards its face and stabbed her wakizashi up to the hilt into one of its eyes.

It screamed and tried to claw at its face as she grunted, removing the blade before flinging herself to the side and slamming her sword into its other eye, completely blinding it but not quite avoiding being struck by its flailing fists. At the same time Miroku and Kagome had finished their work and Miroku took control of the web of spiritual power around the oni, clenching his fist and effectively tightening the noose around its neck. Meanwhile Kagome notched her last arrow onto her bow and took aim, preparing to fire. As Sango was falling she reached back and threw Hiraikotsu at it once more before landing heavily on her side and rolling into a crouch to watch as her weapon struck. It hit just as Kagome’s arrow flew in a pink arc and the filaments of power from Miroku squeezed, closing in.

Hiraikotsu tore through the demon’s mid section at the same moment Kagome’s arrow struck, slamming into its chest and engulfing its body in pink light while the web of power Miroku held kept the oni in place. All three things converged and with a final bellow the oni was purified, vanishing into dust.

Once the threat was gone, Miroku immediately went over to where Sango was rising to her feet. She grimaced as she sheathed her blade then turned to look at him as he approached. Fierce and powerful were the words that instantly came to mind as he assessed her, taking in any possible injuries and seeing none, although he bet she’d be pretty bruised tomorrow. 

“That’s all of them. All the demons that were left in this place.” Kagome said into the silence that had descended. She was breathing a little more harshly and one of her hands was grabbing at her wound again. Inuyasha had made his way back to her side and he looked fine, if not a little roughed up, and she didn’t miss the guilt in his eyes as he noticed the way she held her side. When the oni had grabbed him she had almost fired her arrow right then to free him but then Sango had saved him, sparing her from the choice of using her last arrow for his sake or the sake of them all. 

Over the next hour they explored the rest of the place, thoroughly checking out every room and finding nothing. Just as they were all getting frustrated at their lack of results or anything to show for the suffering they had endured, they entered the last room on the top floor. As soon as they entered, the familiarity of the place struck home for Miroku and Kagome. It was the study they had seen in the vision from the location ritual. From the heavy wooden desk made of mahogany to the black velvet curtains over the windows, the layout, everything. Everything except for the book that had been sitting on top of the desk, open to the spell required to resurrect Naraku.

Walking to the desk, Miroku examined the surface and frowned as he noticed a single piece of paper left behind, and it wasn’t the page they had seen in their vision. It was handwritten and he instantly knew it had been scribed by Tsubaki. Holding it down like a paperweight was a miniature of the Tokyo Tower. Something dark and oily was emanating from it and he carefully bound it with his power, sealing it and whatever curse it bore then moved it to the side. 

“What is that?” Sango asked as Kagome walked over to where he stood.

“A miniature of the Tokyo Tower. There’s some extremely black magic in it, no doubt another lovely little gift Tsubaki thought to leave behind for us.” Miroku said. “I sealed it, but if anyone without strong reiki touches it the binding will be released and whatever curse it contains will be unleashed. It’s very potent and will likely take multiple cleansings to completely purify it.”

Kagome looked at it curiously, giving it a once over with her own power and nodded confirmation to Miroku’s words. “He’s right. I know I’m feeling really drained right now but even I would struggle to eliminate the evil from this object.”

“I wonder why she chose a miniature of the Tokyo Tower to use as the conduit. Is it a message of some sort?” Sango mused.

“Possibly.” He looked at the paper again. Picking it up, he read the contents:

  
  


_When the reflection of the sun sits high_

_At the borderline between worlds_

_Where the pink rain that fell has dried_

_The point where all directions converge_

_Only a quarter of light refracted in the sky_

_The true power of the spell will emerge_

_Solve this; try and stop me if you dare_

_When the time comes, no one will be spared_

_If you wait_

_It’ll be too late._

  
  


“What does it say?” Kagome asked, coming over to peer around him curiously, then frowned as she read it.

“Well? Anybody gonna fucking read it out loud or are we all taking turns?” Inuyasha grumbled with his arms crossed. Miroku looked up at where Sango stood next to Inuyasha, seeing her expectant face, and read the words. When he was done Inuyasha was scowling and Sango was pursing her lips in thought.

“So she left us a shitty poem. It doesn’t even rhyme that well.” Inuyasha said scornfully.

“Well the good news; between the contents of the page we saw in the vision and this piece of paper here, we actually have some clues to work off of now. And the use of such an iconic symbol of Tokyo to hold such a black curse leads me to believe her use of the tower was not by mere chance. It must relate in some way.” Miroku said.

“It’s like she couldn’t resist trying to rub our noses in her plans, leaving us crumbs that she thinks we have no hope of following back to the truth.” Kagome glared.

“Arrogant bitch.” Inuyasha spat.

“Yes, and if we fail at figuring it out in time then we’re all screwed.” Sango said, voicing what they all were thinking. 

“So we just need to figure it out.” Kagome said. Of course, that would require some critical thinking, something none of them were really up to at the moment unless it was absolutely necessary. The whole encounter had left them drained; physically, mentally, and emotionally. Now that it was over all they wanted to do was get themselves patched up and go home.

With nothing else keeping them there they made their way back to where they had entered. As they all walked across the foyer the bloodstains splashed onto the floor in stark contrast against the white marble were unmistakable. It was hard to avoid looking at them. Sango shut her eyes again against a brief and irrational moment of guilt and the frown on Inuyasha’s face deepened, a sadness to the set of his brow. Miroku and Kagome pretended not to notice as they all went outside but the oppressive air to the atmosphere didn’t seem to lighten. It was as if the darkness they faced in that house was an inextricable part of them all, unable to simply be left behind by merely exiting the place.

Miroku retrieved the first aid kit from the trunk of Sango’s car, removing a jar when he made his way back to where they all still lingered on the porch. Kagome was pale and Miroku figured he didn’t look too hot himself. Inuyasha’s hands were a burned and bleeding mess. Sango didn’t appear to have any real injuries although she was moving a little stiffly; that fall along with the stress of their fight had to have taken its toll on her body.

“This is a special ointment Jinenji gave me in case we needed some extra assistance again. It’s not as good as actually having him here but he imbued the antibacterial salve with his healing powers. It will take the worst away.” Miroku said, opening the jar.

“That’s great.” Kagome said with a weak smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

Sango’s heart hurt for her friend, noticing again the very human appearance of Inuyasha and the total lack of any demonic aura or youki surrounding him. What she and Miroku had gone through had been traumatic and exhausting in every way imaginable but it appeared Kagome and Inuyasha had fared worse. She felt a pang of sympathy but still felt compelled to ask. “Kagome...when you purified the curse from Inuyasha, did you--” 

“Yes.” Kagome replied shortly, unable to completely disguise the pain in her voice. Sango let it drop, not wanting to press her on something that was clearly tearing her up inside. That alone confirmed it.

“I told you I was okay with--” Inuyasha began.

“Stop!” Kagome yelled, tears filling her eyes again. Her next words were a whisper. “Just...please. I know, but that doesn’t change anything. You’re still human and I’m still the one who made you that way.”

“Kagome--” 

“I just can’t talk about it right now. Please.”

Inuyasha fell quiet, looking like he wanted to say something more but knowing it would be no use. He looked uncomfortable, like he wanted to break out of his skin and escape to anywhere but there. Kagome was too distraught for words of comfort, especially from the person she had hurt. She felt like she didn’t deserve them. The full impact of what she had done hadn’t truly hit until now, with the earlier adrenaline from battle and the hunt for anything to lead back to Tsubaki pushing it all aside to deal with later. But now, standing here and staring at him it felt like a slap in the face and she had to struggle to breathe for a second. Then she felt selfish, feeling like she was making it all about her when Inuyasha was the one who had lost an actual part of who he was. A part he may never be able to regain back.

During their exchange Miroku removed his ruined jacket and rolled up the sleeve to his long-sleeved t-shirt, allowing Sango to treat his wounds. She bit her lip and took his arm, carefully applying the ointment without saying anything out of respect for the gravity of the moment between Kagome and Inuyasha. And what would she say, anyways? She didn’t even know where to begin. 

Hesitantly she raised her eyes from where she was rubbing ointment onto the slash in his forearm to his face and saw him watching her. His eyes met her own and she felt the awful urge to cry at the steady and understanding look in his indigo gaze. And hadn’t she been the one to tell him not to feel guilty over being controlled to hurt someone you love? That as the attacked party, she understood it wasn’t the other person’s fault? Yet here she was doing a terrible job of taking her own advice and Miroku seemed to know it.

“It’s okay.” He said quietly and she let out a shaky breath, dropping her eyes back to where she was wrapping the bandages around the wound. Securing it and giving a small nod, she willed back the tears that were threatening to fall and then released his arm, taking his other hand full of cuts. When she was finished treating all the injuries on his hands she swallowed and looked at his throat where the angry red line left behind by her wakizashi lay. Blood had dried around it, and she sent out a silent prayer of thanks that he had been quick enough to dodge the full extent of her attack. After disinfecting it she softly swiped a finger full of ointment over the cut, closing her eyes for a moment. Miroku took the opportunity to press a kiss to the top of her head and she felt some of the tension drain from her. He was still here. It was okay.

Sango handed the jar of ointment to Miroku and he stepped to where Kagome leaned heavily against one of the ornate posts on the porch. “Your turn.” He said. The priestess lifted her sweater up, exposing her stomach and the deep, ragged gashes in her left side along her waist. Blood still shone wetly but the punctures didn’t appear to be actively bleeding anymore. Although Inuyasha’s hands hadn’t been treated yet Kagome’s wound was the more serious of the two and took precedence. 

“Give it here. I’ll do it.” Inuyasha said tersely, snatching it out of his hands and Miroku blinked but shrugged, stepping aside. Apparently Inuyasha’s ruined hands weren’t a deterrent. At first glance his actions seemed born out of jealousy, like when Miroku had been holding Kagome’s hands and staring into her eyes intently during the location ritual. But this wasn’t about being bothered at the thought of another man’s hands touching her there. It was about doing anything within his power to heal the hurts he had been the cause of. No matter how unwilling he had been it had still been _his_ claws to tear through that vulnerable flesh of hers and the thought sickened him.

“I still want to call Jinenji. This is deep.” Inuyasha said, and there was anguish in his voice.

“Fine. But at least wait until we get back to the shrine. I don’t want to spend a second longer here than I have to.” Kagome replied and Inuyasha nodded his agreement. 

When Kagome had been bandaged up and Inuyasha’s hands treated, they all left without a backward glance. The dark memories wouldn’t be so easily abandoned but they would find ways to heal and grow stronger from it. In the meantime they had a riddle to solve and a dark priestess to catch.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is shameless SMUT with a sprinkling of plot...very NSFW
> 
> As always thank you to lavendertwilight89 for being a great friend and beta, and to hnnwnchstr for being my hype woman and always encouraging me <3 Love you guys.
> 
> I adore getting comments, kudos, anything to let me know what people are thinking. I am so appreciative to everyone who has commented and continues to do so, and also to everyone who reads this fic. I didn't think I would get this far honestly haha.

As soon as they walked through the door to her apartment and removed their weapons, Sango couldn't seem to hold herself back anymore. Coming up to Miroku from behind, she wrapped her arms around him, her hands coming to rest on his chest as she buried her face into his back. He paused in surprise and she felt a wave of embarrassment wash over her from how desperate and needy she must seem. 

"Sango?" 

She didn't answer, just held him more tightly and he spun in her grasp. She told herself it was because of everything they had just gone through, that it was to reassure herself that he was fine and to replace her earlier touches of pain with ones of affection. To thank him for saving her and let him know that she understood the pain he had caused her in the process was unavoidable. _That_ was the reason she was reaching up to cup his face in her hands and stand on her toes to kiss his lips. And it _was_ the reason, but the simple truth was also that she just needed _him_. The touch of his lips was soft and tender and it warmed her all the way to her fingertips. He wrapped his arms around her waist, drawing her in closer and she felt wholly enveloped in his love. 

After a long moment Miroku broke the kiss and the way Sango was looking at him made his knees weak. It was an alluring fusion of love, need, and shyness, made more intoxicating by the pink blush spreading across her cheeks. He could tell she felt it too, the desire and need to reaffirm what they felt for each other in a more physical way after being forced against each other with such violence. Resting his forehead against hers in a sweet gesture, he spoke.

"Before we get too carried away, we both should probably clean ourselves up from the battle we fought today."

“Right. Of course.” Sango said, suddenly feeling a little ridiculous at how strongly she had latched on to him. He was right and she was being foolish. She tried to let go and back away and he must have sensed the shift in her thoughts because he refused to release her.

When Miroku looked into her face his heart clenched. Tears had gathered in her eyes and she seemed to notice at the same time he did, quickly looking away and letting go of him to rub at her eyes before any of them could fall.

"Sorry, I guess today has made me emotional. Go ahead and shower and I'll go when you're done." She said, trying to keep her voice nonchalant. Miroku wasn't fooled though and pressed a kiss onto the top of her head then stroked her hair.

"It's okay. If you need to cry then cry. You don't have to hold anything back around me." He told her gently. "Earlier though, when we were fighting...I think that's the first time I've seen you cry."

"Because after hurting you I couldn't take it anymore. I know I wasn't to blame and I wasn't in control of my actions...but if you were to die I…" She didn't finish the sentence, unsure if it was wise to admit just how inescapably deep she had fallen. A single traitorous tear broke free and rolled down her cheek. 

Miroku's eyes softened. "I'm right here and I'm okay. It's nothing that won't heal. I don't hold it against you, so don't hold it against yourself." She nodded her acceptance of his words but couldn't speak around the lump in her throat. He wrapped her in a warm embrace for a long moment before taking her lips again in a kiss that left her burning up for him and wanting more.

"Afterwards." He promised, his voice low. "I'd suggest that we take one together, but I think we both know showering is the last thing we’d be doing. Although soon maybe, when you're ready to try other things." With a suggestive wink he left her standing there. While he showered she thought about his words, about...trying other things, and made a decision to be more bold. Once he was done she went, trying to be as fast but as thorough as possible as she washed the grime from her hair and body. 

Exiting the bathroom dressed in only a t-shirt and panties, she walked to the living room and found Miroku lounging on the couch in his sweatpants and nothing else, with his hair hanging loose. His arm and hands needed new bandages after his shower and there was a huge, nasty bruise on his abdomen. It seemed the special antibacterial ointment Jinenji had given them was working, judging by how much better they looked. Grabbing the first aid kit she sat next to him and tended to his wounds, applying more of the ointment and wrapping new bandages around each one of the cuts. Done, she set it to the side on the end table. The sight of each one had seemed to leave their own marks upon her heart and she took a shaky breath.

"Thank you." Miroku told her, lightly stroking her cheek with his fingers. Without a word she straddled him, sitting on his lap and leaning in to kiss him and finish what they had started earlier. Her hands moved over his stomach and chest, feeling the solidity of him beneath them while being careful of the bruise. She craved the closeness and he was only too willing to give it to her, the unmistakable need in her for him making him want her even more.

"You're very enthusiastic today. Of course, I love a willing participant." He teased against her lips, but his desire for her was evident in his voice.

“After I touched you with such violence I--I _need_ this. To touch you with love, to express it to you in a more physical way. M-maybe you don’t, but for me...after what that demon made me do to you…” Sango tried to explain, feeling a little vulnerable.

“I will always need you.” Miroku kissed her again and she sighed with bliss, sinking into him, drowning in the feeling. Parting her lips she allowed him entrance and he held her to him as he devoured her, one hand cupping her face while the other slid down her back to rest on her ass. At the touch, Sango reflexively tightened her knees around his hips and rolled her own, rubbing herself against him. He gave her ass a demanding squeeze in return, causing her to rock herself against him again and again. After a minute she felt an unmistakable bulge pressing up into her and she focused her attention on that specific spot, moving faster. 

Miroku grunted as she rubbed on his hard dick, moving the hand on her face to her ass, pulling her into him. Kneading her between his hands, he continued to kiss her hungrily; he couldn't seem to get enough of her. She was fire and he was burning up from her passion. It was almost as if she had lost herself to the pleasure, using him to climb towards her own release and the thought held a certain appeal. Her panties had to be soaked; he could feel the wetness saturating the fabric of his pants each time she ground herself against him.

Sango felt so good that she couldn’t seem to stop, whimpering out a tiny moan that he swallowed with another kiss. Her hands slid up his chest, making their way to his neck where she rested them. Breaking apart her lips moved to his neck and she gently pressed a kiss against the deep scratch at his throat where her sword had grazed him.

“Whatever you want me to do, I’ll do it.” She whispered against his neck, her breath hot on his skin. 

“Sango, you don’t have to feel like you owe--” Miroku began, his voice slightly choked. If she didn’t stop grinding against him so hard he wasn’t going to be able to think at all soon. His cock was begging to be freed from the confines of his pants and be plunged deep into that wet core she kept rubbing against him. _Fuck._

“I don’t. It's just-- someone with your kind of experience probably--”

“Don’t compare--”

Stilling her movements, Sango placed a hand over his mouth and met his eyes, effectively silencing him. It took everything in him not to thrust his hips up and keep grinding against her.

“I’m not done. And I’m not comparing myself to anyone else you’ve been with. I just don’t want you to think y-you have to hold back on doing things you want because I’m still new to-- to intimacy. I want to focus on you and wh-what you want for a change. If there’s something you want to do, or want me to do-- tell me.” 

That wasn’t entirely true, because in a way she _did_ feel like she owed him, as irrational as that was. However, it wasn’t the main reason why. She wasn’t doing this out of a sense of obligation but because she genuinely _wanted_ to. Besides, she had always been better at expressing herself with actions rather than words. And right now she _needed_ to express her love to him in the best way she knew how. Anything to ease the sting of the memories from her possession and their fight. Fill their hearts and minds up so full with pleasure and intimacy that it became mere background noise.

She removed her hand and he gave her a long, considering look. Her cheeks had pinked a little bit but she held his gaze steadily. It was clear she had lost some of her bashfulness and gained some confidence in its place, but he hoped she never completely rid herself of that adorable tendency to blush when she spoke about such things because he found it incredibly endearing.

“‘For a change?’” He quoted, quirking an eyebrow at her.

"Y-you always seem to make everything about me, and always go down on me but I--I haven't returned the favor yet. I’m always so caught up in everything you’re doing to me to do much more than use m-my hand on you. And if there's other things you want..." Sango said, her face flushing further at speaking about it so blatantly.

"I have a vested interest in making sure it feels good for you. The more you enjoy it, the more you'll want to do it." He smiled suggestively, stroking a hand up and down her side. "Besides, I get great satisfaction out of giving you pleasure."

Sango almost rolled her eyes at the first part of his statement, although she had to admit his reasoning was very sound. Because of her previous experience she never used to consider sex as a way to express love or even as something to crave. But with Miroku that all had changed now; he made her feel so cherished and everything felt _so good._

"I want to make you feel good, because it makes me feel good, too." She said a little shyly and his smile following that admission bordered on a smirk.

“You’ll try anything I ask for?”

“Yes. I trust you.”

Leaning forward he gave her a short, searing kiss before pulling away and speaking, his indigo eyes heated. "In that case, there's three things right now that I want from you."

"What are they?"

Miroku ran his hands under her t-shirt, moving up her belly to caress her breasts, fingers toying and brushing against her nipples as he gently kneaded the perfect mounds. She gasped, making a soft sound of pleasure and he leaned forward again this time to place his lips upon her neck, kissing and sucking his way to her ear.

"First, I want you to completely undress yourself, then me. After that I want you to lower yourself to your knees and take me into that sweet mouth of yours and suck me off. After I cum into your mouth and you swallow every drop, comes the second part. 

"While I recover from what will no doubt be the best blow job I've ever received, I want you to climb back up onto me like you are right now and give yourself your own release. You can use your hands or you can use me, I'll enjoy either one and be turned on beyond belief at such a vision. And then, after you cum and I get to watch the very alluring sight of your orgasm, is the third thing.

"I want you to lower yourself onto my cock, taking me deep inside you. Then I want you to ride me hard and fast until you climax again around me, making me find my own release and cum inside you."

Giving her neck one final kiss Miroku pulled back and Sango stared at him for a moment, her eyes wide at how graphic and shameless he had been in describing his requests. Between the way he was playing with her breasts and kissing her neck, with each word he spoke she found herself growing wetter, her breath coming faster.

"Did you get turned on by hearing me say all that?" Miroku asked, a corner of his mouth kicking up in appreciative amusement.

"It's your fault for saying it like that." There was no point in denying it as it was obvious, and he smirked. She felt just as shameless as him in that moment. 

"Right, of course." He chuckled a little. "Are you okay with what I'm asking for?"

Sango kissed him softly then removed her shirt in answer, feeling a little nervous. She tossed it to the side as she stood, exposing her glorious breasts to his hungry eyes, then peeled off her soaking wet panties. Kicking them away, she reached for the waistband on his sweatpants and he lifted his hips, allowing her to leave him just as naked as she was. Finally she knelt in front of where he sat, sliding her hands up his thighs before pausing to look up at him.

"I-- I've never done this before. You might have to tell me what to do, guide me…” She said, wanting to please him but not knowing where to begin. Her eyes settled on his dick; he was so erect and she felt a rush of confidence that _she_ had done that, had made him so achingly hard. She saw the precum leaking on the tip and had the urge to lick it away and taste him. 

“It’s okay. I’ll tell you, but right now I just want your mouth on me.” Miroku said, almost breathless, watching her with hooded eyes. 

Gripping the base of his shaft in her hand, Sango leaned in and laid her tongue flat against his length and slowly licked her way to the tip where she flicked her tongue over the head, swallowing the bead of moisture. Miroku gasped out at the contact and she repeated the motion, this time swirling her tongue over the head before pulling back. 

He breathed hard as he watched her lick his dick like it was the tastiest lollipop she had ever had. God, the feel of her tongue on him… She paused then parted her lips and took him inside that hot, wet mouth of hers. He thought that was nirvana, the vision of her on her knees with her lips wrapped tightly around his cock, but then she started hesitantly sucking and--

“ _Fuuck!_ ” Miroku groaned out, reaching down to bury his fingers in her dark hair. Sango kept sucking, emboldened by his reaction and started to bob her head up and down, squeezing and pumping with the hand wrapped around the thick length of him. Running her tongue over the shaft, she occasionally released him to lick from the base to the tip before capturing him inside her mouth again. 

He started guiding her with gentle commands to suck harder, move faster, or rub her tongue _there_ . She listened attentively, until the way she was working his dick with her perfect mouth made him pant and groan. Even if she had been clumsy, just having her mouth on him would have fulfilled one of his many fantasies…but this was _beyond_ incredible. Pressure began to steadily build in his lower abdomen and he grunted, consumed by the white-hot pleasure. Closing his eyes, his breath came faster and he leaned his head back, his hands in her hair still urging her on as he groaned.

All the sounds Miroku was making, the look of ecstasy on his face, the way his hands were gripping her head tightly and pulling at her hair, the taste and feel of him in her mouth...it was all making Sango so wet and hot until she felt wanton enough to try something. Taking hold of her breasts, she leaned forward a bit more and pressed the shaft of his dick between them, beginning to rub herself up and down his length. Squeezing them together, she kept his cock nestled tightly within her cleavage while continuing to suck the head, teasing the tip with her tongue.

Miroku cried out, his hands fisting in her hair. His eyes snapped back open at the new sensations, looking down at her and unable to believe what he was seeing. Fuck, he loved this woman. He panted hard, making sounds he had never made before as she sucked him harder and moved her sweet breasts faster. His hips twitched, begging for him to thrust and fuck her beautiful tits and he just barely held himself back.

“Fuck, Sango...that feels so fucking good.” He managed, his voice husky. “God, don’t fucking stop.”

She swirled her tongue over the velvety head of his dick in response, making eye contact as she did and Miroku almost came right then. He swore she smirked around his length, moving faster still. 

“Unh! I’m...going to…!” Miroku grunted out. Sango rubbed her tongue over his tip, pressing hard as she sucked and moved until he exploded into her mouth, groaning as his body shivered with the force of his release. As he came Sango continued to pleasure him, helping him ride out his orgasm. Her throat worked as she swallowed his load until at last he was spent and she had licked him clean, drinking every drop like he had told her to.

“That was fucking incredible.” Miroku said, breathless, and she smiled up at him, proud of herself. 

Releasing him, she stood and climbed back onto his lap, kneeling over him and holding his face in her hands. Leaning down, she kissed him passionately and as they kissed she moved one of her hands between her legs, beginning to touch herself. Ordinarily the thought of pleasuring herself while he watched would have been a little embarrassing, but she was so hot and so wet and the throbbing ache so unbearable that the touch of her fingers was a relief. Breaking the kiss, she moved her fingers faster and moaned, her other hand gripping his shoulder. After the things she had just done to him she was so tightly strung that it wouldn’t take much more to send her over the edge.

Miroku stared at her, transfixed at the sight before him. Her eyes were glazed over with need, her face flushed from passion. Each breathy sigh that expelled from her parted lips went straight to his groin, already arousing him again. He splayed a hand around her waist possessively and allowed his gaze to travel down her body, taking in her heavy breasts, her smooth stomach and stopping at her hand between her legs. Wetness was dripping from her core, coating the fingers stroking her bundle of nerves. Another soft moan escaped her lips as her hips began to undulate.

“You’re perfect." He said.

She looked into his eyes, her own heavy-lidded with bliss, completely open and vulnerable and desperate for him. He hoped she could see the same thing reflected in his own gaze. With his free hand he gently took her wrist and pulled it from between her legs and she mewled in protest.

“I want you to use me.”

“What?” 

Releasing her wrist, Miroku gripped himself and pressed against her drenched pussy, guiding her to rub herself along his length. He couldn’t keep from groaning at the feel of her hot liquid arousal slathering his cock as she moved, grinding herself against him while he rubbed into her. She whimpered in need, her hand on his shoulder flexing as she went faster until she was on the brink of coming undone. When the ridge of the head pressed against her clit again she cried out and shook as she came, still looking into his eyes for all of it. That intimate connection seemed to make the moment even more intense and when she came back down he kissed her, his lips tender and soft.

"It's not fair what you do to me." She whispered against them.

“I could say the same to you.”

Reaching between them she placed his cock at her entrance and sank down onto him, sheathing him fully within her. Sparks of pleasure shot through her and she gave a small cry while Miroku groaned. She closed her eyes for a moment, savoring the feeling of having him so deep inside her. Wrapping her arms around his neck she began to move, rolling her hips while raising and lowering herself, building a rhythm. The closeness of the position, all her skin pressed up against his, combined with how deeply he was buried inside of her had her moaning again. Fuck, he felt so good.

Miroku let her move, content to just sit there for a minute and watch her as she explored this new position, enjoying every second of it. He sucked in a breath as she increased her pace, still holding her to him with an arm while his other hand slid up her stomach, taking hold of one of her breasts. His fingers began to squeeze the flesh while tweaking the sensitive nipple.

“Mmm. Yes, touch me.” She panted and that command set him on fire. His hand continued its ministrations while he leaned forward, taking her mouth with his. 

“Sango, I can’t hold back anymore.” His breath was shallow against her lips.

“Then don't. Give it all to me.” 

He didn’t need to be told twice. Thrusting into her from beneath, he increased their rhythm and she cried out, trying to match his new pace. Moving faster, he slammed into her hot core and it felt so fucking good, he was hitting her so deep. Closing her eyes she threw her head back, her long hair swaying behind her. She was taking every inch of him in and loving it. It drove him wild and he groaned as her slick pussy gripped him tightly, wringing pleasure from him with every stroke.

“I’ll never get enough of you.”

Sango tried to respond but when she parted her lips a moan escaped instead. Her breathing was erratic, the mounting ecstasy stealing her ability to think straight. When she found her voice again all she could do was plead for him. “Ahh! Mm-- Miroku! Faster...harder!” She gasped out, her nails digging into his skin where she clung to him.

He complied, only too willing to please her and needing to hear the sweet sound of her moans envelope him. Her breasts were in his face and with such temptation right before him Miroku couldn’t resist capturing her free one with his mouth. Sucking her nipple, he laved it with his tongue and nibbled gently with his teeth, coaxing more moans from her, each one increasing in pitch and volume. _Fuck._

He moved his hand between them to where they were joined so intimately and found her clit. Playing with it, he alternately rubbed and flicked at it as he fucked her harder, unable to contain his own groans. She rode him just as fiercely, matching his thrusts with the rolling of her hips. The heat building between them was reaching a fever pitch, about to break and take them both with it.

“M-Miroku…! I’m going to…!”

Giving her nipple one last suck, he removed his mouth from her breast to press a kiss over her heart. As he did he rolled her bundle of nerves between his fingers, giving it a slight squeeze. “Cum for me, Sango.”

That sent her over the edge and she came with a long loud moan, followed by more, softer cries as her climax swept through her body. Her eyes rolled back from the sheer pleasure, eyelids fluttering. She shuddered and Miroku watched every part of her orgasm with carnal satisfaction, moments from his own.

“I love you.” She panted as her walls constricted and shook around his cock and _fuck_ he couldn’t hold back his own release anymore. His body went rigid before he spilled himself inside her. The waves of their shared climax washed through the both of them and when it passed and they had regained their breath Sango kissed him. He stroked her face reverently, returning the tender touch of her lips. 

When they drew apart she laid her head against his shoulder and they stayed that way for a while longer, holding onto each other. After a bit, Sango took one of her hands and trailed it down his right arm, stopping when she got to his bandage. As always, he knew where her mind had gone.

“Hey. I’m okay, so there's no need to dwell on it.”

“Are you sure you shouldn’t call Jinenji to fix it for you?”

“It’s really not that bad, I promise. I don’t want to bother him if it’s not life threatening. Besides, the ointment is working.”

Sango didn’t have a reply to that, because he was right of course. Instead she changed the subject. “We need to figure out what everything means in that riddle Tsubaki left us. It’s got to be the key to stopping her.”

“Indeed. Seems rather generous of her to tell us how and where to find her.”

“She’s an arrogant bitch. Probably thinks we won’t be able to figure it out, and that even if we do we won’t be able to stop her.”

Miroku laughed at her assessment. “Very true. Maybe if I look over the contents of the page from that spellbook there will be something, some overlap that might help us.” He paused. “Would it be terribly selfish if I said I wanted to stay like this for a while longer before getting back to saving the country from the rise of a demonic overlord?”

“Not at all. And if it is then I guess I’m selfish too.” Sango said, sighing in content. “Would it be even worse if I said we should wait until tomorrow? I don’t know how well my brain can think right now. I’m so tired.”

“It's like you read my mind. And that’s understandable considering the day we’ve had. Your soul is going to need time and rest to properly recover after the...ordeal I put it through.”

Sango sat up and looked him in the eye. “ _You_ did not put me through anything. Tsubaki and that little demon brat Satoshi did. Anything you had to do to me to break me free was a necessary evil.”

“Perhaps. Still, my point remains.”

“No, not _perhaps_ . It was unavoidable! And definitely not your fault. If anyone should feel bad over what happened it’s me…the way I hurt you, how close I came to killing you... And if I shouldn’t worry about it, shouldn’t feel guilty over it then you definitely should _not_ feel bad about the pain removing the curse caused me. Or anything else you had to do to defend yourself against me while I was being controlled."

“That is true.” Miroku conceded. His heart still ached over the agony he had caused her but one look at her made it clear she didn't hold it against him. Besides, between her chocolate eyes staring at him so fiercely and her naked skin still pressed up against him so intimately, well…how could he argue with that? 

“You should always argue with me when you’re naked because you will win every time. It’s very convincing.”

Predictably, she smacked him. "I was being serious!"

"So was I." He grinned.

“You’re incorrigible.” Still, despite her words she was smiling even as she rolled her eyes.

“Oh? Do you regret becoming the girlfriend of such an incorrigible man?” He teased, his lips finding her neck again and she melted against him.

“No. It turns out there’s some advantages to it, too.”

“Such as?”

“Why don’t you show me?”

And he did just that.

  
  


The next day after they had put some clothes on and eaten breakfast they sat at the kitchen table looking over the only clues they currently had. The two pieces of paper were spread before them and Sango had grabbed a notebook to jot down any notes or possible meanings to each line of the riddle while Miroku had his laptop open. She glanced at him.

“Kagome has a copy of this riddle, right?”

“Yes. I took a picture with my phone and texted it to her.”

Satisfied with that answer, Sango returned her attention back to the puzzle. _When the reflection of the sun sits high._ Her brows furrowed in thought. “This is so vague, I don’t even know where to begin.” She said, getting frustrated.

“That’s the whole point of riddles, my dear Sango.” Miroku replied dryly. “I admit though, I am wondering the same thing myself. There’s so many things each line could possibly mean. I have a feeling there’s something connecting all of it, and once we figure that out we’ll get our breakthrough.”

“That’s a good point. Hmm…”

Beginning to brainstorm with Miroku, she wrote down everything they could think of for each line of the riddle, feeling like they were starting to make some progress. She just hoped they reached that breakthrough soon. The consequences of failure lurked in the back of her mind the whole time, a constant reminder of what should happen if they didn’t succeed. 

~☆~

_The previous day_

Kagome said nothing to Inuyasha after they had been dropped off at the shrine and made their way to the main residence. As they reached the door he took her arm, making her turn and face him. He didn’t speak for a moment but his eyes said it all and her own filled up again with tears.

“Don’t cry.”

“I can’t help it. Inuyasha, I--”

He brushed a light kiss across her lips, silencing her. “Let’s go inside and call Jinenji for you.”

Kagome nodded, trying to hold back the tears that had risen again but a few stray ones still slipped out. She followed him in, thankful her mother seemed to be out at the moment so there were no more awkward questions about Inuyasha being human or motherly concern over her own injury. Or explaining how she had received it. Or how Inuyasha’s hands became a burned mess. It was all easier this way.

They made their way upstairs to her bedroom where she sat heavily on her bed. The exhaustion was weighing down on her, and she wasn’t sure if it was the blood loss or everything they had just gone through. Truthfully it was probably a combination of both. As she sat, Inuyasha called up Jinenji and they didn’t really speak as they waited for the other half demon to arrive. Inuyasha kept shooting her concerned looks, his eyes becoming guilty every time they took in the blood on her sweater. 

When Jinenji came he healed Kagome’s wound first. Then they gave him a brief explanation about Inuyasha’s “condition” while he healed his hands. Inuyasha griped the whole time, saying it was unnecessary to waste power healing something so minor but Jinenji and Kagome wouldn’t hear it so he reluctantly gave in. Jinenji expressed sympathy at the turn of events that had brought Inuyasha and Kagome to this but also hope that Inuyasha’s demonic energy would return.

“His body and soul likely just need time to recover from what must have been an extremely stressful and traumatic experience. His demonic aura was exhausted. I cannot promise anything but I doubt this is a permanent change. Give it some time.”

Kagome felt slightly better at the reassurance but she wouldn’t feel easy about it again until she saw the change with her own eyes. _She_ was the one who had done this to him, after all. They both bid Jinenji goodbye and then it was just them again. Inuyasha looked as tired as she felt and she murmured something about taking a shower before escaping the bedroom. Things were going better between them but there was still that underlying sense of guilt and sadness. After they had both cleaned themselves they couldn’t seem to keep their eyes open and Kagome laid down on her bed with Inuyasha next to her. She placed her head upon his chest, listening to the sound of his heartbeat and he wrapped his arms around her. 

“Kagome, even if this is permanent I don’t want you to feel guilty. I asked you to do this. It doesn’t change how I feel about you. Unless you don’t want a weak human--”

“What? No, no. It doesn’t matter to me if you’re human, half demon, or full demon. I just feel terrible because while I don’t care I know you do.” She buried her face into his chest and he stroked her hair.

“I do, but I care more about you. I didn’t want to be forced to hurt you anymore.”

“F-fine. I won’t feel guilty about it anymore if you stop beating yourself up over the way you were forced to hurt me, too.”

Inuyasha let out a harsh laugh. “Keh, alright.”

Those words were easier said than done but it was a start. They drifted off like that, taking comfort in the presence of each other. Later Kagome woke up, blinking her eyes and wondering how long they had been asleep for. Her side still hurt but it wasn’t nearly as bad as before and she felt most of her energy had been restored. She had no desire to move from her current position on Inuyasha’s chest. There was something so soothing about waking up in his arms, like just having him near made all her dark feelings and thoughts abate. Slowly she raised her head and saw he was still sleeping. And still human. Her heart constricted at the sight. Jinenji had said it was likely he just needed rest but how much rest was enough for him to return to normal? Would he ever return to normal? 

As she stared she took in the sight of his sleeping appearance. It was a rare opportunity. Usually he was awake before her, and the times she had awoken before him she hadn’t really had a chance to register the fact she was awake before he was opening his eyes. Currently his slumber remained undisturbed, though. His soul must have truly been fried to the point of being raw but despite the pricking at her eyes she refused to cry again. Enough tears had been shed over it and crying wouldn’t change anything.

Looking him over she felt a warmth in her heart. The way his eyelashes fanned against his cheek, the relaxed and peaceful look on his face, his lips slightly parted. His lips… Kagome felt the urge to stroke his face and kiss him and before she knew it that’s exactly what she was doing. She gently cupped his face in her hand and raised herself up further to softly press her lips against his. It was just too tempting to pass up. As she pulled away her gaze moved from his lips to his eyes and midnight blue orbs stared back at her. The lips she had just kissed curved in a slight smile and she blushed.

“Takin’ advantage of me while I sleep?”

“I--I was doing no such thing! You’re my boyfriend. Besides, I…” _I couldn’t help myself._ Kagome stopped herself before she let that embarrassing admission completely slip but the way his eyes burned into her own told her she didn’t need to. Even without his demonic senses he knew her too well at that point. It was so unfair.

Inuyasha moved the hand on her back to cup the back of her head and pulled her back down, taking her mouth again with his. Kagome melted against him. One kiss from him and her head was spinning. She missed the feel of his fangs but the taste and feel of his mouth was the same. Her hands slid up his chest to his head to bury themselves in his hair. She gave a small wistful laugh and Inuyasha broke the kiss.

“What’s so funny?”

“Sorry. It’s just...I went to reach for your ears again and well…even if you stay human I’ll still want you, still love you, but I’ll miss those doggy ears.”

He grinned. “Well that’s a relief. I miss being able to smell that intoxicating scent ya give off when we kiss...one I’m sure you’re throwing off in waves right now.” He shifted, flipping their positions so that she was beneath him and he buried his face in her neck, inhaling. “You still smell so good, though.”

Kagome shivered in awareness, a sharp spike of arousal shooting through her. What had started out as an innocent kiss was somehow starting to make her burn from within for his touch. She loved him so much. How was it possible to _want_ someone so much? Taking her hands she slipped them under the modern t-shirt he had donned after his own shower and felt along the expanse of his bare chest. He gave the best version of a growl in his human form, then began nipping and sucking at her neck as he kissed her. She heard someone moan then realized it was her. Oh God it felt like _heaven_.

At the sound of her moan Inuyasha couldn’t contain his own need for her. It was the sweetest sound he had ever heard. At first he almost backed away then remembered their agreement to explore other ways to be intimate without going all the way. Plus he was human right now. There was no danger of marking her in the heat of the moment and possibly causing irreversible damage to her powers. Moving his lips from her neck to her ear he nipped her earlobe. His hands made their way under her own shirt and she sucked in a breath and arched her back into his touch.

“I need to touch you.” He admitted hotly.

“Then touch me.” She ordered breathily.

Needing no further encouragement, Inuyasha let his hands continue their path up her stomach to her breasts. He splayed his hands over her, one hand over each perfect mound before giving them a possessive squeeze and she gave a whimper of need at the contact. Despite all the heated touches they had shared before, he had been very careful to keep his hands from wandering away from the safer areas of her body. He wasn’t being careful anymore and savored the feeling of her most intimate parts in his hands. He squeezed again, brushing his thumbs over the fabric of the cups of her bra and felt her nipples harden through the material. She gave a desperate gasp.

Kagome squirmed, feeling desire rushing through her body like a storm. She had too many clothes on for this. She needed his hands on her bare skin, the need an unbearable ache within her. “Take it off.” She managed between the feel of his lips teasing the sensitive skin of her neck and his hands kneading her breasts.

Inuyasha momentarily removed his hands from her and she felt cold at the loss, but then he was lifting her up to pull her shirt off. She fell back on her bed laying in just her bra and leggings as his eyes devoured the sight of her. His hands stroked along her sides to make their way behind her. She arched her back to make it easier for him and he unhooked the clasp of her bra before tossing it away and exposing her breasts. Almost reflexively her hands came up to cover herself and he caught them gently in his hands.

“Don’t. You’re fucking beautiful.” His voice was low and husky. She laid there torn between being nervous and so on fire with desire for his touch that she didn’t know what to do with herself. Then Inuyasha released his grasp on her wrists to take hold of her breasts again and she gave a soft cry at the touch. He massaged the flesh, fingertips teasing her nipples and she closed her eyes, unable to believe how good his hands on her felt. If it already felt this good… how would she be able to handle anything more?

Hearing that sound from her mouth drove him wild and he felt himself grow rock hard. He needed to taste her everywhere but first he needed those pert nipples in his mouth. Leaning down he replaced his hand with his lips, taking the sensitive nub into his mouth and giving it a suck, licking circles around it with his tongue. It seemed to bring her pleasure so he kept up his ministrations then gave his attentions to her other breast, switching back and forth until Kagome was panting.

Heat was building inside of her and gathering between her legs. She rubbed her thighs together, needing a way to ease the pressure. Inuyasha started to kiss and lick his way down her stomach until he hovered right over where she was burning for him. He looked up at her meeting her eyes and the intent in his gaze sent shivers through her.

“Please…” She said. His lips curved up into a half smile and he leaned down, licking her through the fabric of her leggings while maintaining eye contact. Arousal pulsed through her at the feel and the action and wetness flooded her. She was dripping.

Kagome lifted her hips in a wordless plea and Inuyasha pulled off her leggings and took a moment to take in the sight of her totally naked body. Her hair was spread all around her, her skin flushed from desire and his kisses. He gazed back into her eyes that were full of longing and lust. His mate was so fucking perfect. 

He spread her legs and lowered his face to the most intimate part of her. Even without his demon nature he felt the need to taste her and that’s exactly what he did. He knew enough from living for centuries what he should do without his instincts guiding him. Sliding his tongue through her soaking wet folds he savored the heat of her, gripping her soft thighs in his hands. Kagome’s body jolted at the feeling and she gave a cry. Inuyasha repeated his motion before exploring her thoroughly with his tongue, taking note of which parts made her pant and squirm for him the most. There was this little nub that seemed to especially drive her crazy. 

“I-Inuyasha…!” She moaned. “Ah! Right there…”

Her moaning and the way she was beginning to writhe beneath him was bolstering his confidence and he flicked his tongue over that little nub more and more until she was breathless. Her hands reached down to grab at his hair, pushing him down harder into her while her hips bucked against him. He licked at her faster, teasing her, then started sucking and she lost her mind. 

The pressure had continued to build throughout everything Inuyasha was doing to her until it began to reach a breaking point. Kagome was delirious with the need, unable to stop the moans from spilling from her lips. It just felt too fucking good. Then he started sucking at her clit and the pleasure turned incandescent until it peaked and she came with a loud cry. His tongue continued to stroke her through her orgasm, drawing it out and building it up again, leading her into a second one that left her seeing stars. She was absolutely spent once she came back down.

Inuyasha lapped up all her juices hungrily, the taste of her sweet essence heavy on his tongue before rising to take in her passionately disheveled appearance. He licked his lips, crawling back up her body to claim her mouth with his again and she kissed him back, still panting against his lips. Sliding his hands up her body and resting them on her perfect breasts again he could feel the rapid beat of her heart.

“I know it’s supposed to feel good but I had no idea how good it was. Good doesn’t even begin to describe what you did to me.”

“I needed to taste you there.”

“I want to taste you too.” Kagome said, then blushed. Which was ridiculous considering she was lying there completely naked. After he had just gone down on her while she moaned and begged for him.

He grinned at her. “Oh yeah?”

“I-I mean...I’ve never done anything like that before, obviously but...I want to touch you too.” As she spoke her hands moved down his chest to stop at his waist, almost hesitantly. Then she sat up, forcing him up too and moved her hand down to lightly graze over the noticeable bulge in his own pants. He sucked in a breath at the feeling. She looked up at him, meeting his eyes uncertainly. She was feeling this strange combination of wanting to be bold and being too nervous to actually touch him all at the same time. He sensed her hesitation and kissed her. She relaxed into him. Wrapping her left arm around him she ran her hand up and down his back, needing to touch his bare skin. Removing her hands from him briefly she tugged at his shirt and he got the hint, taking it off and momentarily breaking their kiss. She looked at his body for a moment, admiring the toned muscles of his abdomen, the strength in his arms. Even in his human form he was magnificent.

“I feel like I'm dreaming.” She whispered as her eyes traced his body.

“That’s my line.” He reached for her, kissing her again and she felt utter bliss, getting drunk off the feeling. As his tongue slid across her lips she felt herself becoming more confident and this time when her hand reached down she gripped him firmly. He groaned into her mouth and she stroked him once more before sliding her hand up to his stomach before dipping below the waistband of the pants he wore, taking his hard length directly into her hand. He gasped out at the contact and she explored him, slowly stroking her hand up and down his shaft, fingertips caressing the head.

“Fuck.” He broke their kiss, taking his hands from her to remove the pants and throwing them carelessly to the floor. Her hand had felt fucking amazing on him and he needed more of it. He needed more of _her._

Seeing him completely naked in front of her she couldn’t help but stare for a moment. Kagome’s eyes were inevitably drawn to the erection jutting out between his legs and she licked her lips. Inuyasha was watching her watch him and at the sight of that pink tongue gliding over her lips as she looked at his dick...fuck, he needed her on him _now._ Without even realizing it he was kissing her again, whispering against her lips. “Fuck, Kagome. If you’re gonna touch me do it now. I need you so bad.”

Kagome felt a rush of lust course through her veins at the pure want in his voice for her. She had never considered herself someone very sensual but he made her feel positively enticing. It was intoxicating. Her hand gripped him again, sliding up and down as she squeezed him and he groaned in relief and pleasure. She quickened her pace and he began to pant, the tension of his release beginning to tighten in his abdomen. Her hand felt so fucking soft and so good on him. His own hand couldn’t even begin to compare to the pleasure she was giving him.

Inuyasha was panting against her lips, his hands buried in her hair. He groaned again desperately as her hand squeezed tightly and her fingers ran the length of him. The thought of being able to make him make a sound like that made her more daring, and she lost herself to the heat of the moment. Kagome broke their kiss and went down on her knees and elbows, taking him into her mouth and starting to suck.

“Fuck, Kagome!” Inuyasha’s hands remained buried in her hair and his fingers flexed, pulling at her hair. His hoarse shout and the motion encouraged her and she began to bob her head up and down faster as she sucked harder, her hand still wrapped around the thick length of him. She squeezed again, sliding it over his cock as she sucked him and he was almost growling with need. She felt powerful and sexy in that moment and chanced a glance up at him.

Inuyasha could barely think, his mind shorting out at the phenomenal ecstasy of her sweet mouth on his cock, sucking him off. Shit, it felt so fucking good. He knew she was a virgin but damn he would almost swear she had done this before, it was so incredible. Her tongue swept over the sensitive underside of him before teasing his tip and his hands tightened their grip on her head.

“Holy fuck, Kagome. God, your mouth feels so fucking good.” His hips twitched, wanting to thrust into her mouth until he exploded. He couldn’t entirely keep himself from moving but he had enough of his sanity left to hold himself back from fucking her mouth until he came. Looking down he met her eyes and the pure eroticism of the sight sent a jolt of intense arousal pulsing through him again, tightening the coil of his release almost to the breaking point. He was gonna cum soon. He tried to pull away from her so he didn’t spill himself into her mouth but she wouldn’t have it, sliding her hands up his thighs to grip at his hips.

“K-Kagome...I’m gonna...fuck I’m gonna cum…!”

Kagome sucked him harder, her tongue drawing circles around his tip and _fuck._ His body stiffened, his release taking hold of him; he couldn’t hold it back anymore. He came with a loud groan, the spasms of pleasure wracking his body. Kagome’s eyes widened but she didn’t let go, didn’t stop, and that only turned him on even more. When it had passed she pulled away, swallowing hard as she raised herself back to a sitting position, putting herself on level with him again. He looked at her, her lips wet with saliva and his cum, her lush body totally exposed to him and he didn’t think he had ever seen anything more perfect in his entire long life. 

“W-was that good?” Kagome seemed a little hesitant now that the moment was over and he almost laughed. Good? That was so far beyond good there hadn’t been a word invented for it yet.

“It was fucking amazing.” He answered, pulling her into another kiss. He tasted himself in her mouth and that gave him satisfaction. As he took her lips in a deep kiss he felt a change coming over him. Something pulsed through him and it wasn’t arousal this time. All at once his demonic energy returned and everything seemed to slam into him from all sides. His senses, his claws and fangs returning, his ears changing back to the dog ears as his hair turned silver again...and his instincts that had suddenly seized hold of him. He broke the kiss, gasping, trying to get it under control. The return of his demonic half at a time like this...it was rushing to the surface, wanting to take over. Fuck her. Mark her. Make her his in every way.

Kagome was confused at first when Inuyasha pushed her away but then when she saw him understanding dawned. Her heart felt lighter at the sight of his demonic features returning, the feel of his demonic aura and youki flowing around him again. It had all happened so...abruptly and Inuyasha seemed to be overwhelmed at the speed everything had come rushing back. Then he growled, purple jagged marks starting to appear on his face. _Wait, what?_ Why was his demon rising to the surface??

“Inuyasha, is something wrong?” She cupped his face in her hands, looking at him in concern and saw the gold of his eyes starting to bleed red and blue. 

**“Bad timing.”** He grunted out in the deep rasp of his demon side. **“Coming back at a moment like this, everything we just did...fuck.”**

“What do you mean?”

 **“It wants me to-- no,** **_I_ ** **want to fuck you. Take you right now and mark you.”**

Her eyes grew large and it all made sense. His demonic aura returning just as he felt the euphoric high of a climax with her. Their scents from their releases and the taste of both of them now imprinted in his mouth. She was a mate whom he hadn’t marked yet. As much as she wanted him, wanted his body on hers, wanted his fangs in her neck as she became his...she knew what he wanted. And she would respect his wishes. “No.”

**“Fuck do you mean, no? I know you want it. You reek of arousal.”**

“But you don’t really want to. For my sake. Not yet. So I’m saying no. _No._ Back down.”

**“I need to make you mine.”**

“I’m already yours. Inuyasha, I’m yours.” She kissed him, keeping it gentle. Gradually the demonic side of him subsided, soothed by her assurances of being _his._ Resting her forehead against his, she held him to her and he gripped her possessively. When he had himself under control again he pulled away slightly. “You’re always able to bring me back.”

“You did that on your own. I just helped. See? I told you.”

“Keh, whatever.”

“I’m so relieved you’re back to your normal half demon self again.” Kagome moved her hands to his head, stroking his doggy ears between her fingers. “I love every side of you, but I admit I like this form of yours best. Also, I know you probably felt like part of you had been cut away when I turned you human.”

“It did, but again-- I asked for it. I don’t regret it. But I’m also relieved that I turned back.”

Kagome wondered what time it was and looked at her phone then gasped. They had apparently slept all the way through the night and into the next morning. Which meant her family was probably home. Her face turned tomato red and she hoped nobody had heard anything. The clock read 6:52 AM so hopefully everyone was still asleep, or in her grandfather’s case, making his rounds across the shrine grounds. Her room was a bit farther from everyone else which made her feel a little bit better. Oh God, she hadn’t even thought about that until now. She wouldn’t be able to face her mother or brother if they had heard them…

“Why are you so fucking red?”

“Because it’s just occurred to me that my family may have heard me while I practically _screamed_ for you!!” She buried her face in her hands, overcome by embarrassment.

He laughed. “Don’t worry, now that my demonic senses have returned I can tell that no one heard anything. Your mom and brother are still asleep and that old geezer is walkin’ around the shrine.”

Kagome relaxed at those words and they laid back down embraced in each other’s arms for a bit after that, dozing on and off. She didn’t know how much time had passed again before the sun was shining brightly through her window and they decided to finally get up. Putting on proper clothes again, her in some tights, a skirt and a blue sweater and him in his traditional hakama and haori, they prepared themselves for the day.

Checking her phone, Kagome noticed Miroku had sent her a picture of the riddle Tsubaki had left them and she thanked him, sending him a picture of everything she had gotten from the image of the page from the spellbook in the vision they had had, asking him if it was the same as what he had. He texted back a quick affirmative, then mentioned he and Sango had already started going over the riddle, trying to solve it and assign meanings to each of the lines. 

Sitting down at her desk, Kagome began to do the same and Inuyasha leaned over her shoulder to look at what she was doing. “Any thoughts?”

“Nah. I was never any good at this kinda shit.”

“That’s helpful.”

“Hey, my strengths are in other things.”

Kagome chuckled. “I know. It’s okay. But if you think of anything, anything at all, tell me. Right now it’s just a matter of trying to figure out what everything means. To do that I have to explore every option, every possibility-- no matter how outlandish.”

“I don’t think people realize it about you, but you’re actually pretty smart.” Inuyasha said and Kagome blushed at the compliment. It wasn’t something she heard from people very often and it added to her determination to solve this. She kept glancing at the miniature of the Tokyo Tower sitting on her desk. They had all agreed she be the one to hold on to it since she was stronger in her powers. She almost shivered at the pure evil it was still giving off despite being sealed. This all had to have something to do with either the Tower or Tokyo as a whole. It couldn’t have been a coincidence that that was the object Tsubaki imbued with her black curse.

A few hours later she thought she had pieced a few things together but wasn’t sure she was on the right track. She texted Sango this time.

_**Kagome:  
** _ _Hey how’s it going with the riddle? Figure anything out yet?_

 _ **Sango:**_ **  
** _It’s going. It feels like we’re making progress but we don’t really have anything definitive. It’s hard to be sure._

 _ **Kagome:** _**  
** _I understand. Did you guys want to maybe meet up so we can discuss it together and share our ideas? I have a few theories myself._

 _ **Sango:** _**  
** _Yes, Miroku and I were actually just about to ask you and Inuyasha the same thing._ _  
_**  
_Kagome:_**  
_Perfect! We’ll meet you over there. Inuyasha returned to his half demon self again (thank GOD) so he can carry me there faster than I would drive._

 _  
_ Sango expressed her own relief at the return of Inuyasha’s youki before Kagome gathered her notes and placed them in a small backpack. Inuyasha had been sitting on her bed watching her as she gave her best shot at figuring it out. He looked at her, figuring they were about to head out to somewhere. “Where we goin’?”

“Sango’s apartment. We’re going to meet with her and Miroku and figure this damn riddle out.”


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout out as always to lavendertwilight89 for being my beta and to hnnwnchstr for being my hype girl <3
> 
> My uploads may have to be biweekly now, as I have been struggling a bit for the past two weeks to get past this creative block. I think I am finally getting past it, but throwing that out there. Getting comments and kudos and whatnot definitely help my motivation so I want to thank everyone who reads this story.
> 
> This story has also been nominated for Best Action for the 2020 4th Quarterly Inuyasha Fandom Awards, run by Feudal Connection! I am so excited to have my story nominated!!

Nightfall was approaching by the time they all felt confident they had solved Tsubaki’s riddle. It had taken a lot of research, a lot of notes, and a lot of generous interpretations. Much of it had been pretty obvious once the rather poetic language had been deciphered into something more concrete. In addition, they had also figured out that the use of the Tokyo Tower miniature was Tsubaki’s way of telling them that all of Tokyo was a part of her plan. If she succeeded all of its citizens would be taken under when she enacted her spell. 

The page Miroku and Kagome had seen in the vision had the spell Tsubaki was planning to cast, and the contents had aided in helping them to figure it out. Fifty souls of reiki users along with their reiki. Fifty souls of youkai along with their youki. And that was just for the re-creation of Naraku’s body. It also called for a massive amount of souls to power the spell itself, and that was what Tsubaki had been hinting at with her use of the Tokyo Tower miniature. The whole city would be taken to fuel the staggering amount required. With the booming population of Tokyo there would be more than enough to satisfy the spell’s needs. 

Going line by line and figuring out how each line tied into the others, they had managed to unravel the meaning behind Tsubaki’s riddle. _When the reflection of the sun sits high_ was meant to refer to the moon hanging in the night sky. The light from the moon was a reflection of the sun, and “sitting high” likely referred to when it would be directly overhead. That would make the time the spell was to be cast around midnight.

The next line, _“At the borderline between worlds, where the pink rain that fell has dried,”_ had taken some serious thinking but eventually they had figured it out. Tsubaki planned to cast her spell in a graveyard, most likely Aoyama Cemetery. Not only was it known for the cherry blossoms that bloomed so beautifully in springtime but had since withered with the chill of fall, it also helped to tie in with the line directly after it. “ _The point where all directions converge.”_ The other option they had considered was Yanaka Cemetery, but Aoyama was closer to the center of the city and therefore more likely to be the “point all directions converge.”

The page had also hinted the spell must be cast during a certain phase of the moon, and that helped with solving the next line. _Only a quarter of light refracted in the sky._ The light in the sky was likely referring to the moon while it was in the quarter phase. A quarter moon was most commonly referred to as a half moon, and since the spell was for resurrecting a half demon it was the most logical and obvious deduction to make. The next upcoming half moon was in about a week.

The rest of the lines were either taunts from Tsubaki or the dark priestess’s way of hinting at how the whole of Tokyo’s populace would be swallowed up when it was time to cast her dark spell. It was unclear exactly how she planned to overtake the whole city in one fell swoop but Kagome had a theory.

“If she places a rune at the furthest reaches of all four cardinal directions of the city and then activates them all at the same time they will connect to each other automatically, covering the whole of Tokyo in a dome of her power. It could be a rune similar to the ones we started out hunting, only much more powerful and larger. It’s the most likely possibility.” Kagome said. She rubbed at her temples, feeling the beginnings of a headache coming on.

“Well fuck. If that’s the case finding where she’s laid them is gonna be a pain in the ass.” Inuyasha grumbled.

“Assuming we can find them before she activates them. They’re impossible to sense until they’re filled with power, after which they take on a life of their own to fulfill their purpose.” Miroku pointed out.

“Also, if this is indeed part of her plan then it's unlikely she intends to just leave them unguarded.” Sango added. 

“Maybe you should contact your brother again.” Kagome looked at Inuyasha and he made a face like he had just tasted something bad. Obviously he wasn’t thrilled by the idea.

“Brother...Oh!” Sango exclaimed softly, as if something had just occurred to her. She nervously turned to face Miroku. “Uhm, there’s something I forgot to tell you…”

He arched an eyebrow. “Yes?”

“So...I may have promised my brother and by extension my family that we would visit them so they could meet you.”

“Oh. When?”

“Uh, Friday.”

Miroku looked at her for a second. It was Wednesday night which meant he effectively had only a day’s notice before meeting the family of the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. Not that he had told her in those exact words, nor did he plan to ask her any time soon. No, there was no sense in rushing into things. But the point remained, those were his intentions. If he said he wasn’t a bit nervous at the prospect he would be lying, but he was good at winning people over. It would be fine. Still, if they decided he wasn’t good enough for her, well… it was going to get awkward because he had no intention of giving her up.

“Well at least you didn’t wait until the day of to tell me.” He said finally.

“I’m sorry!” Sango apologized. Kagome couldn’t keep herself from giggling and tried to cover it with a cough. “I really meant to tell you sooner but then with everything happening I...well I almost entirely forgot about it.”

“Awkward.” Inuyasha remarked.

“That’s not a problem is it??” Sango asked, grabbing onto Miroku’s hand.

“No, not at all. Meeting a family of demon slayers who I’m sure are very protective of you, the only daughter of your father. What could go wrong?”

Inuyasha didn’t even bother to try to hide his own amusement at this little turn of events. He laughed. Miroku meeting a girl’s parents. He honestly didn’t think he’d ever see the fucking day but Miroku had obviously changed. Meeting Sango had turned him into someone wholly committed to one person. The half demon almost wished he could be there when this visit happened. 

“I can always call and try to reschedule but with what we’ve just discovered I feel like that’s not a good idea. My family needs to know what’s happening.”

“It’s fine. I was going to meet them sooner or later anyways since you’re not getting rid of me.” He winked at her and she relaxed a little bit. “We might want to take Inuyasha and Kagome with us if we’re explaining what’s been happening and if you’re planning to ask them for help. Maybe bring everything we have with us to help us present all the information. It’s a lot.”

“Let me get this straight. You just volunteered me to walk into a fucking den of demon slayers?” Inuyasha demanded. He regretted his earlier thoughts of wishing he could be there to witness the judgement and awkward comments from Sango’s family. Fuck. 

“Why do you always freak out about demon slayers? You did the same thing when you discovered Sango was one, too. You _do_ know they only go after the bad ones, right?” Kagome rolled her eyes. She agreed with Miroku that having her and Inuyasha come along was probably the right move. This went beyond a simple “meet the parents.”

“Yeah, and?” Inuyasha returned hotly. “How do I know they won’t decide I’m _bad_? If anyone attacks me I’m kickin’ their ass.”

“Would you calm down?!” Sango finally had enough. “I’ll explain I’m bringing you and Kagome along and tell them who you are so there are no surprises. No one is going to be attacking anyone or I'm going to kick ALL of your asses!”

“Keh. Fine, then. Whatever.” Inuyasha crossed his arms. “And how would you feel if you were invited into a den of demons, huh?”

“Fair point, but what I said still stands.” Sango replied, unmoved.

“And on that note I think it’s time for Inuyasha and I to go home.” Kagome said, taking hold of the half demon’s hand and leading him to the door. “We’re all tired. It’s making _some of us_ a little cranky.” She shot Inuyasha a look as she said that part and he scoffed, looking away. She turned her attention back to Sango. “I’ll text you tomorrow for the details of this visit so we know when to be ready and all that good stuff.”

“Sounds good. Be safe going home.” Sango said, giving a slight wave as they left. She turned back to Miroku when they were alone again. “Again, I’m really sorry for not telling you sooner.”

“It would have been nice to have a bit more warning, but it’s fine. Besides if we’re going to be discussing Tsubaki and her plans it will take some of the pressure off. Not that I’m too concerned, of course.”

“Of course.” Sango said dryly at his confidence. “My father is a little stern but he’s a good man. I apologize in advance if he asks you anything...awkward, or tries to have a ‘talk’ with you. After the last two guys I dated he has become somewhat protective, I guess. He never met them but well, it’s no secret they were terrible to me.”

“A talk?”

“You know, the whole ‘if you hurt my daughter I’ll kill you and they’ll never find the body’ one.” Sango said. 

He laughed. “In that case, I don’t have to worry. I will never hurt you. At least, never intentionally.” He sealed his promise with a kiss and she leaned into it. The idea of him meeting her family had her a little anxious but he was so good with people that she was sure he would win them over. After all, he had won _her_ over despite her best efforts to the contrary. If he could accomplish that then her family should be no great challenge.

Pulling away she smiled up at him and squeezed his hand, still held firmly in hers. He squeezed back.

~☆~

Friday arrived and they all met up to head over to Sango’s family house. The agreed upon time had been noon and they pulled up with just a few minutes to spare. The plan had been to have dinner but the discussion that was about to take place would take some time so it had been moved to lunch with talking business afterwards. 

As they got out of the car Miroku straightened his shirt, a nice shade of dark purple that complimented his eyes. He figured it was important to make a good impression and had tried to dress nicely, but nothing overly fancy. He still wore jeans but they were of a darker denim so it looked slightly more refined. And of course, a black leather jacket.

Sango walked around to where he waited for her and she took his hand before leading the way with Kagome and Inuyasha following close behind. It was a normal looking house but the grounds it sat upon were almost as large as the Higurashi Shrine. There were a few other buildings, one of which appeared to be a dojo. Sango saw him looking at it in curiosity and explained.

“We’re demon slayers, but we can’t really put that down on tax and government forms so we also run a dojo. It’s actually quite successful. I helped out with teaching some classes a few years ago. Still do from time to time.”

“That makes sense. And that’s impressive. But then, everything about you is.” He said, and she rolled her eyes at the cheesy line. He smiled softly at her reaction, still looking around. There were a couple other buildings, and he wondered if those were where the demon slayers did their own training, or if perhaps it was where an assortment of weapons and powders and poisons for use against demons were kept. 

Sango knocked firmly on the door of the actual house a few times then, without waiting for someone to answer, opened it and stepped inside. Miroku supposed since she was family it was acceptable for her. He followed her inside with Kagome and Inuyasha right on his heels. As they all removed their shoes someone rounded the corner in an excited rush and Sango was almost knocked back as the person in question hugged her tightly around her middle. 

“Sango! Sango! You’re here!” The girlish voice cried out in happiness and Sango smiled down at the child holding tightly to her. She released Miroku’s hand to hug the little girl back, smoothing her hair. She couldn’t be more than five or six years old.

“Hey, Yui.” She greeted and the girl beamed up at her. “My baby cousin.” She explained to Miroku and Inuyasha. Kagome already knew; she was like a sister to her and therefore practically a part of the family herself.

“Sister!” Someone else had turned the corner and the young man smiled at Sango before turning his attention to the little girl clinging to her. “And Yui, what did we say about running inside the house?” He gently scolded.

“Kohaku.” Sango’s eyes lit up at the sight of her brother and Miroku could see the family resemblance. His features were more masculine but their eyes and the set to their mouth was the same and they had the same thick brown hair, although his was a few shades lighter than hers. Yui released Sango and pouted up at Kohaku.

“But I haven’t seen Cousin Sango in so long!” 

“Rules are rules for a reason.” He told her. “It’s good to see you, sister. Been a while.”

“It has. Sorry for being a stranger.” Sango said, giving him a warm hug. When they released each other she took Miroku’s hand again. “This is Miroku. He’s...he’s my boyfriend. And partner in this whole thing we’ve been dealing with.”

Kohaku’s eyes looked him over as if assessing him but he smiled. “Nice to meet you.”

“And this is Inuyasha.” Kagome spoke up, grabbing Inuyasha’s hand. The half demon scowled but it wasn’t at her touch. That was probably the only thing keeping him from jumping out of his skin. “He’s not too happy about being around a bunch of demon slayers so don’t take it personally.”

“It’s also nice to meet you.” Kohaku said. “And no need to worry. We only exterminate the bad guys. Well come on, everyone is already sitting down. I was chosen to come get you.” He started to walk, leading the way. “Father is here, of course, along with Uncle Keisuke. But I'm sure you figured that out since Yui is here. Oh, and Aunt Zakuro is here too. The others had jobs lined up but we can fill them in regarding the thing you came here to discuss with us.”

As he spoke they followed him into a dining room with a table set with an impressive spread of food. There had been four empty places left for them, two directly to either side of the muscled, stocky man sitting at the head of the table. There was a stern, dignified air about him. His skin was tanned and complemented by his thick beard and black hair which was tied into a short high ponytail. Heavy dark brows made him look almost intimidating but his brown eyes slightly softened the effect. The other family members murmured their greetings, and the woman who had to be her Aunt Zakuro gave a grin.

“Welcome.” Her father greeted them, standing. Sango dutifully walked around to give him a hug and when he released her he turned an intense gaze upon Miroku. Miroku smiled, giving a slight bow.

“I’m Miroku Takagi. It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir. Your daughter is quite possibly the most amazing person I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting. I was blessed the moment she came into my life.”

Her father cracked the smallest of smiles. “I see you are a charmer. Yes, Sango is very special. You, boy, sit next to me.” He gestured to the empty seats on his left and they obediently sat. Sango’s Aunt Zakuro was to her left and she looked at Miroku then back to Sango before giving her a suggestive wink along with a thumbs up. Sango internally groaned. Honestly, though, this was pretty typical of her. Zakuro was a very free-spirited individual and was almost never afraid to tease or speak her mind. All her life she had never really settled down, preferring to make no attachments and live life in the moment. At least that’s the way Zakuro had chosen to describe it. Sango had a feeling she was going to be hearing remarks all day from her about Miroku now.

“Uncle, how are you!” Kagome greeted Sango’s father, using a familial endearment; it was a sign of how close she was to Sango’s family. He broke his stern demeanor and smiled widely at her, wrapping her in a bear hug. “Better now that you are here.” He then looked at Inuyasha, his face sobering again. “You must be the half demon I was told about. You have nothing to fear here. Thank you for looking after Kagome; she’s like a daughter to me.”

“Just doin’ my duty. Ancient promise or whatever. But anyways, I protect her because I want to.” Inuyasha shrugged. 

“As fine a reason as any, if not more so. When we want something bad enough, it makes us excel in the struggle to obtain it.”

“I’ve already ‘obtained’ her, if that’s what you’re gettin’ at.” Inuyasha said gruffly, and Kagome almost covered her face with her hands. There were so many ways to have told him they were together and that was _not_ the one she would have gone with. She sighed. But Sango’s father seemed to consider his words and merely nodded in acceptance. The two of them sat on the other side of him while the rest of Sango’s family looked on at Inuyasha curiously. He wasn’t wearing his human glamour after all. What was the point? 

Yui managed to escape from Kohaku and ran up to him, trying to climb up into his lap. He yelped in surprise. “What the--?”

“Doggy ears!! I wanna touch!!” She yelled and he blinked. She wasn’t afraid of him at all despite his fangs and claws.

“Yui! Show some manners and respect. He is our guest.” The other man scolded her, then looked at him. He had to be the Uncle Keisuke that Kohaku had mentioned. “My apologies. My daughter gets excitable sometimes, and she loves dogs. Due to your demonic features she seems to have forgotten herself.”

“S’okay.” Inuyasha said. 

“Why don’t you let her touch them?” Kagome asked, trying not to laugh. Inuyasha looked at her like she had grown another head and neither Sango nor Miroku could quite smother their own laughter.

“Please! Please! Please!” Yui pleaded.

“I--Uh--M-maybe later.” Inuyasha said and she cheered in happiness before finally going back to her spot at the table. He breathed a sigh of relief and shot Kagome a quick glare. She returned his look with one of complete innocence. Damn girl.

They all settled in and introductions were made to Sango’s other family members. It was a little awkward at first, mainly for Inuyasha, but conversation flowed easily enough. Miroku touched briefly on how they had met and it was an edited version, with Sango adding bits from her own perspective of things. Kagome then explained Inuyasha’s role as the guardian of the forest. Everyone laughed when she mentioned how it had definitely not been love at first sight for them, but more like annoyance instead. Then during a slight lull in the conversation it became awkward again, only this time for Sango. Just as she had suspected Zakuro couldn’t keep from making comments.

“Sango dear, you're quite lucky. If I were twenty years younger you might have had some competition for him.” She winked and Sango couldn’t completely stifle her groan. “Mmm, a fine man indeed.”

“I’m the lucky one.” Miroku said, his lips twitching as he fought back a smile while her aunt flirted with him.

“Good looking, charming, strong, _and_ talented with his tongue. Don’t let this one go or I may have to snatch him up for myself.” She laughed at her own joke, as if to show that she was obviously kidding. Still, the double entendre was not missed by Sango nor she imagined by anyone else at the table. Except Yui. Sweet, innocent Yui. 

Miroku almost choked on the bite he was currently swallowing and the laughter that threatened to rise up was quickly quelled by the glare Sango shot his way. ‘ _Don’t you dare,’_ it said. Laughing at her jokes would only encourage her to make more comments that toed the line of what was appropriate.

“Aunt Zakuro, please…” Sango closed her eyes for a moment, her cheeks flushing. She wasn't sure if she should be embarrassed or irritated. Her aunt laughed some more but moved on to safer topics and she relaxed again for a bit. Then inevitably, Sango’s father spoke the question she had been waiting and yet dreading to hear and all her tension returned tenfold.

“So, Miroku. Tell me, what are your intentions regarding my daughter?”

Sango had been taking a drink and it was her turn to almost choke. She looked across the table, meeting eyes with Kagome and the priestess tried to give her a reassuring smile. Inuyasha was doing nothing to hide his grin. Reaching blindly under the table Sango took Miroku’s free hand. Miroku gave it a small squeeze as he replied to her father in a rather calm voice.

“Our relationship is still fairly new, but I can tell you with absolute certainty that Sango is the one for me. I love her.” 

“Hmm." Her father leaned back and crossed his arms over his expansive chest, pinning Miroku with a piercing look. "Despite your sincerity you strike me as the type who is used to using your looks and your pretty words to get what you want from women, usually without a care to their own feelings. My daughter is precious to me. I won’t tolerate anyone playing with her heart. Not again.”

“Perhaps in the past that was true. But not anymore. She’s precious to me, too.” Miroku returned smoothly. Sango was almost sweating next to him and the rest of the table had gone silent. “My intentions towards your daughter are quite simple, sir. I want to date her, marry her, and then of course, have her bear my children. Preferably in that order, but I’m not too picky on the details.”

Sango’s grip on him tightened to the point of being painful. His tone was light, with the last part said almost like a joke, and yet he sounded like he actually meant the words. Her stomach was filled with butterflies at hearing those declarations from him. He had told her she was the one, he wasn’t ever letting her go…but to hear it put into those kinds of terms made her blush. Also, did he really have to mention the part about bearing children to her damn _father_ ?! Not to mention the rest of her family! Damn the man. Would it kill him to have _some_ shame? 

Her relatives looked surprised and incredibly amused by his response, as did Kagome. Inuyasha didn’t seem shocked but he was softly snickering. Kohaku shot her a look with raised eyebrows and she tried her best to ignore it. She kicked Miroku from beneath the table as inconspicuously as possible and he seemed totally unphased by it, rubbing his leg against hers in return. 

“Playing footsie with your boy toy, eh?” Zakuro whispered low enough for just her to hear and her cheeks reddened before she hissed out a denial. 

To Sango’s surprise, Miroku's blatant honesty seemed to satisfy her father and he gave Miroku a genuine, if small, smile. “In that case, it’s an honor to meet the man my daughter has chosen to bring home. Just remember, if you ever hurt her--”

“Father!” Sango protested.

“--you’ll kill me and they’ll never find the body.” Miroku finished for him. It surprised a laugh out of him. "No need to worry on that front. Besides I'm sure Sango would beat you to it. She gets rather fiery sometimes."

“Father, can you please not threaten him?” Sango said, resisting the urge to place her head in her hands. "And you, shut the hell up." She elbowed Miroku in the side.

He gave her a grin. "Now, now. Your temper is one of the many things I love about you." Sango just huffed, refusing to dignify his words with a response but blushing all the same.

“He’ll do.” Her father said. He had been watching their exchange closely and something in the way they were with each other must have convinced him. Sango relaxed at his approval, the tension leaving her body in a rush. The sudden absence of all her anxiety left her feeling almost lightheaded.

“Even though she’s dated in the past you’re the first guy she’s ever brought home.” Kohaku revealed and Sango gave him a withering look which he cheerfully ignored.

“And hopefully the last.” Miroku said, smiling.

“I hope so too, for her sake.” Keisuke input before looking at Sango. “It’s been about five years since the last guy we heard about. At the rate you were going I started to wonder if you were going to take the path of your Aunt Zakuro.” 

“You say that like it’s a bad thing. I’m quite happy, thank you very much.” Zakuro sniffed. 

“I’m only twenty-four!” Sango said a little hotly. “Can you not act like my future would have been over if I hadn’t found a boyfriend in the next year?”

“That’s right. You don’t need a man for fulfillment. Although they certainly help.” Zakuro gave both her and Miroku a wide wink. Sango groaned. Why was her family like this? Kagome and Inuyasha had been quiet throughout all of this but they also looked thoroughly entertained. Especially Inuyasha. The only thing the damn dog demon was missing was some popcorn.

“Demon slayers need to start their families younger, which you already know.” Keisuke reminded her, a stern note in his voice. He and his wife had had four children. Yui was the youngest and their oldest was closer to Kohaku’s age.

“I’ll decide when I’m doing what! So can we drop it?” Sango finally snapped, almost slamming her hands down onto the table. Miroku reached up with his left hand to gently cover her right one with his, silently trying to soothe her. She took a deep breath and exhaled, releasing her frustration with it. “Sorry. But this is the twenty-first century. I respect our traditions but I won’t be pushed into anything before I’m ready.”

“Keisuke is correct, but you are free to make your own decisions. I raised you to be a strong woman who can think for herself, after all.” Her father said with a wry smile. “Let’s move on to another topic, shall we?”

The rest of the meal passed without incident, fortunately. Her family asked Miroku questions about himself and his profession which he readily answered. Similar questions were posed to Inuyasha and although he answered them his responses weren’t as forthcoming as his best friend’s; it took some prodding from Kagome to get him talking. Finally when everyone had finished eating and the table was cleared away it was time to get down to the other reason they were all there. 

“There is a place we demon slayers always discuss strategy. I would like for us to gather there to talk about this threat to the city that you have uncovered. And perhaps offer our help.” Her father said, standing and everyone followed suit, agreeing to his request. 

Exiting the house they all walked across the grounds to another one of the buildings with the exception of Yui, who had been left in the care of the housekeeper. She was still too young to be a part of any of this. Sango held Miroku’s hand the entire trek over, a gesture that was not missed by her family. Zakuro was doing nothing to hide her grin at their affection for one another and Kohaku seemed pleased at the sight of his sister’s happiness. 

Upon entering the building Miroku took in the surroundings. It was a large one-room building with weapons leaning against the walls. In the places weapons weren’t being propped up the walls were lined with chests that no doubt contained more demon-slaying equipment. Other weapons were hung from the ceiling or displayed on the walls. All the way to the back was a table that looked as if it could accommodate twelve people. On the back wall was a dry-erase board that Miroku figured was used in their strategy sessions. Everyone took a seat at the table and without preamble the four of them began to explain what was happening to Sango’s family, Miroku pulling out the two sheets of paper that contained the sum of all they had to go on.

All her relatives listened intently, the earlier humor from lunch replaced with intense concentration. It was easy to see then what they all did for a living, their demeanors changing to that of experienced hunters, eyes narrowing with intense focus. Part of their story was met with knowing nods as Sango had already given her brother a brief but thorough run down before their meeting with Lady Kaede at the Shikon Shrine. However, when they got to the part of the location ritual, the curse, and the discovery of her riddle, the atmosphere was charged with the weight of all its implications. As they all took turns revealing what the puzzle Tsubaki had left them meant the tension around them grew until it was an almost palpable thing. Lastly, Kagome carefully held out the cursed miniature of the Tokyo Tower to explain its own significance. 

“Miroku and I have done our best to bind the curse that lies within this, but if anyone without spiritual powers were to touch this the binding will come undone and the curse will be unleashed. We plan to cleanse it but it will take several purifications. The magic on this is extremely potent.” She warned them as she placed it on the table for everyone to see. “Like we’ve already mentioned, Tokyo is going to be the center of her attack but the ramifications will definitely spread to all of the country if she succeeds. Judging on the amount of demon and spiritualist souls and powers that she needed to obtain, it’s safe to say she’s definitely attacked beyond the borders of the city already.”

“This is deeply concerning.” Sango’s father voiced with a deep frown. “You say she plans--”

“Stop! Don’t go in there!”

Everyone turned as the doors opened and Yui dashed inside with the housekeeper hot on her tail. The little girl bounded to where they all sat and climbed up onto Sango’s lap.

“I’m so sorry.” The housekeeper panted as she ran after Yui.

“But I want to see Cousin Sango! It’s not fair!” Yui yelled, then noticed the cursed miniature on the table. “Oooh what’s this?”

“Yui, no!!” Sango shouted, grabbing her baby cousin around the middle and attempting to drag her away but not before her chubby little fingers brushed the object. The air around them instantly shifted and with a feeling of dread Sango pushed Yui into the arms of the housekeeper before rising to her feet. Something compelled her to reach for a weapon and her fingers found a katana hanging on the wall close to them. The rest of her family seemed to have the same idea, instinctively reaching for a weapon as the air became thick and something dark began to spread out from where the miniature sat on the table.

“This is unfortunate.” Her father said with resignation.

“Fuck! Who the hell let the little kid loose?!” Inuyasha snapped.

“It appears she broke the binding on the curse.” Miroku said, wishing he had brought his shakujo while darkness filled the space around them until there was no light left. 

“What kind of curse is this? And how do we break it?” Zakuro called from somewhere to their left.

“I-I don’t know.” Kagome said, reaching for Inuyasha and breathing a sigh of relief when she felt his clawed hand in hers.

“Is this just meant to blind us?” Kohaku spoke from around them.

“I don’t know, but knowing Tsubaki this isn’t all of it. Not with the amount of evil that was in that thing.” Sango replied. She closed her eyes since they were currently useless anyways and instead focused with the rest of her senses. Part of a demon slayer’s training was learning to fight blind, learning to anticipate your opponent’s movements with your other senses, by the feel of the air around you, the aura, the whisper of cloth and soft footsteps. The darkness was an annoyance but not a significant handicap. She had no idea about Miroku and reached out for him while waiting for the other shoe of Tsubaki’s curse to drop. She didn’t have to wait long.

“I’m right here.” He whispered in her ear, causing her to shiver involuntarily. Moments after his words there was a pulse that brushed against their skin before the seal on the cursed object finally broke all the way, releasing a host of evil spirits and demons in a rush. The auras were easy to sense and as the monsters filled the space around them they spread out, careful of each other as they attacked the sudden onslaught. While the demon slayers and Inuyasha fought off the demons, the two spiritualists were doing their best to lift the darkness and ward off the evil spirits.

“Kagome, if you can take care of the evil spirits I’ll focus on removing this darkness.” Miroku called out and Kagome yelled back an affirmative.

Miroku formed a barrier around him and Sango with part of his power, focusing the rest of it on cleansing the darkness. He pushed against it and it pushed back, almost attempting to curl itself around him and infiltrate his lungs, suffocating him. Pouring more of himself into it he kept up his efforts, sweat beginning to bead at his temples at the continued assault.

Next to him Sango still had her eyes closed as she moved fluidly, letting her senses guide her as she slayed any demon that came close to her and Miroku. She stepped first this way then that based on the auras and growls and the wind of movement from her companions and the monsters around them. The katana in her hand was a bit longer and heavier than the wakizashi she was used to wielding but she adjusted quickly to the new reach and weight of the weapon, whirling to slice another demon in half as it came close to them.

Kagome was chanting under her breath, holding her hands together and forming a barrier of her own. The soft pink light it emitted was swallowed up again by the cloying darkness of the curse. She trusted in Inuyasha to keep her safe while she focused on setting wards at the four corners of the building they were in, sending her consciousness out to each of them one by one. Once one had been established she moved on the next, making them as strong as she could without dropping her barrier in the process. The darkness was absolute and she spared a thought to wish Miroku luck in lifting it and hoping he accomplished his task soon.

The evil spirits swirled around overhead and screamed in rage when they found no opening in Kagome’s shield of pure energy. She pushed against them, her power seeking them out and they dove towards her mindlessly. They were either blindly loyal or Tsubaki had to be controlling them because there was only one way for this to end; they had to know that. With a burst of reiki she purified them from existence, their shrieks cutting off as they vanished.

With no light the sounds around them all seemed amplified, the screams and yowls of the demons and evil spirits mixed with the whistling of weapons swinging, the clang of metal, and the unmistakable sound of demonic flesh being torn asunder. The whirling of blades and demonic hisses filled the stifling air while they all fought, relying on all their training to see them through.

Slowly, Miroku was making progress. Starting from the area around him and pushing out he was beginning to overtake the darkness. The blue glow of his aura and barrier radiated out from where he stood as he closed his eyes in concentration. He knew Sango wouldn’t let anything touch him and allowed himself to direct all his energy and focus on his goal. It spread out from him in a gradually widening circle. Sweat was trickling down the sides of his face but he didn’t stop.

Seeing light on the back of her eyelids, Sango opened her eyes and spared a quick glance to Miroku. Relief filled her as well as pride in his skills. Her aunt hadn’t been wrong in her assessment of him. He was visible now and she could see about a foot in front of her. Another demon came through the darkness, screeching at the feel of Miroku’s barrier and the sudden light that pierced its eyes. Sango stepped forward and with a quick slash removed its arms before spinning in a crouch then rising to behead it. It gurgled but another demon quickly took its place and she continued. Seeing definitely made it easier and she hadn’t remained entirely unscathed while fighting in the darkness. Still, they were mere scratches. She had faith her family was faring the same.

The circle of light expanded to include her brother and he looked surprised at first at the return of light but quickly resumed his own movements. His weapon, a kusarigama, sliced through the air before being drawn back to him by the chain he controlled it with. Like Sango, he moved with quick efficiency. He had a few scratches on his arms and one on his face but there was a look of intense concentration as he moved with grace.

As the light continued to eat away at the darkness all around them Kagome and Inuyasha were then enveloped in the illumination Miroku was working to create to fight the curse. They were moving in tandem, back to back as Kagome purified and Inuyasha sliced out with his sword. Miroku gave more of himself to the destruction of the curse and the light grew, its reach widening until it soon encompassed Zakuro who was fighting with a naginata, twirling the bladed staff with the skill of many years of practice. Her long black hair waved around her as her eyes snapped to where Miroku stood with Sango. There was admiration in her gaze and she gave a short nod of acknowledgement before ducking below the strike of another demon then stepping back to whirl her naginata in a downward slash. 

At this point Miroku was sweating from the effort but he didn’t stop and Sango’s father was the next to leave the darkness. He barely paused in his own assault of the demons, wielding a mace-like weapon with brutal precision. Blood sprayed as he landed another hit on his target. With one final push of his power against the curse Miroku managed to bring light back to the rest of the building, revealing where Keisuke stood standing guard over the housekeeper and his daughter, fighting savagely with dual katanas.

As she fought Kagome noticed that there didn’t seem to be an end to the demons and evil spirits. Her gaze was drawn to the table where the miniature of the Tokyo Tower still sat. It pulsed every several seconds and with each pulse there was an increase in the evil auras surrounding everything, in the dark presence that Miroku was working so hard to hold back. She had to destroy it. 

“Inuyasha, cover me!” She called out as she dashed back to the table, ducking under the sweeping strike of a demon and blasting another one with power until she reached her target.

“Hey! Next time wait before runnin’ off!” Inuyasha yelled as he followed her, watching her back and making sure nothing touched her. Damn girl, always making his job so much more difficult. He admired her dedication to her calling, though. 

Kagome reached the table and snatched up the miniature. What she was about to do would probably drain her but there wasn’t really too much of a choice. Immediately she began a cleansing and it was harder than any other she had ever tried to perform. It felt like trying to pedal a bicycle uphill, or trying to breathe underwater. Soon she was panting but she was making progress, however slow, and that encouraged her. The deluge of evil spirits and demons had ceased and now all that was left was to remove the darkness and the cloying evil that came with it. With Miroku holding it at bay it took some of the pressure off, but it in no way made her task easy. She had no idea how much time had passed, was only vaguely aware of Inuyasha saying her name. Her limbs began to tremble from the pure amount of power she was exerting. She was so close…

Another hand closed over hers and she took a deep breath of relief as the cool rush of Miroku’s power joined hers. Within minutes it was done and she opened her eyes with an effort. Feeling utterly drained, her knees buckled and she swayed on her feet. Inuyasha was quick to wrap an arm around her middle, leaning her against his body and she instinctively curled into him.

“Thank you.” She mumbled. She didn’t know if she was talking to Miroku for helping her or to Inuyasha for catching her. Maybe both. She was so tired. But the curse was broken so she counted it as a victory.

“You gonna pass out?” Inuyasha’s voice was close to her ear.

“Can’t. Still gotta make plans. Discuss them. Whatever it is we’re doing.” She replied as she sighed deeply, trying to center her mind again. It was difficult, but she managed.

While Kagome caught her breath Miroku was struggling with a similar exhaustion. He wiped at his brow. It was covered in sweat. He felt like he desperately needed a shower, a sentiment he was sure was shared by everybody else. Sango set down the katana she had been using and came back to his side, placing a hand on his shoulder and silently asking if he was okay. Leaning into her touch he allowed himself to relax a bit and gave her a slight smile in answer to her unspoken question. She smiled back, her hand moving from his shoulder to wrap around him and he gratefully accepted the support she was offering. Standing was getting tiresome.

The sound of muffled crying caught their attention and they turned to see Keisuke sweep his daughter up into a hug, simultaneously scolding her and reassuring himself that she was okay.

“I-I--I’m sorry, papa!” Yui wailed, tears streaking her round cheeks.

Inuyasha’s ears flattened at both the sound and the salty and sour smell of her tears and distress. Ugh. He fucking hated it when people cried, especially little kids. It made him feel helpless, something he wasn’t at all used to or okay with. There _was_ one thing that could get her to stop crying, though. And it was within his power. It might hurt his dignity a little bit, but what the hell.

Giving Kagome one last comforting squeeze, he gently settled her small form back into one of the chairs. Then, marching over to where the little girl continued to cry in her father’s arms, he stood next to them for a second before reaching out and grabbing her from Keisuke’s grasp. Keisuke looked at him in shock, unsure of what he was doing.

Yui looked at him with wide eyes. “Uhm...Mister?”

“Well, whaddya waitin’ for?” Inuyasha huffed out impatiently, scowling. “Ya wanted to touch ‘em, didn’t ya?”

It was hard to tell who was the most surprised at those words. Kagome’s mouth fell open in shock. She blinked, unsure if she had heard him correctly, thinking she did truly pass out from exhaustion after all. Meanwhile Keisuke stared at the half demon holding his daughter as if not sure how to react.

Yui’s face transformed instantly. Crestfallen eyes brightened as she grinned and reached out, taking hold of his ears. Inuyasha sighed, his face looking rather put off but also as if he were secretly pleased that it had worked. She giggled while Inuyasha blushed a little bit, knowing everyone’s attention was upon him.

“There wasn’t a hallucinogen in that curse, was there? I’m actually seeing this, right?” Sango whispered to Miroku and he chuckled. 

“Your eyes and ears do not deceive you, my dear. I’m just as shocked.” Miroku whispered back. “I had no idea Inuyasha could be good with children.”

“I can fu--...can hear ya, ya know!” Inuyasha snapped at them, catching himself this time before he swore in front of the kid. Kagome laughed. “Okay, that’s enough.” Inuyasha pulled her away and thrust her back into her father’s rather stunned arms. “Ya happy now?”

Yui gave an emphatic nod.

“Good. Now be a good girl and listen to the adults from now on. Ya could’ve been seriously hurt.” Inuyasha said gruffly.

“Okay, Mr. Doggy!”

Inuyasha grimaced at the name but didn’t bother to correct her.

“Thank you.” Keisuke said, giving the half demon a smile. “You...you’re surprisingly good with kids. I admit I didn’t expect that.”

“I dunno what the hell you’re talkin’ about.” Inuyasha responded dismissively, turning his back and walking over to the table, taking a chair next to Kagome. He sat in it heavily then glared at everyone else as if daring them to make a comment. They all wisely chose to keep silent, although Zakuro threw him a wink. He glowered at her and she grinned, unrepentant.

After the housekeeper left with Yui they resumed their talks. It was as if the rather swift onset of the curse and fight that followed had truly driven home everything they had been saying. Not that her relatives hadn’t been taking it seriously; they had. But something about seeing part of Tsubaki’s plans in action, where it had visibly threatened those they loved, made them want to rise up and take action against her. The fact that the dark priestess was trying to resurrect Naraku, an old enemy of their family, only added to their conviction.

Sango’s father offered them the support of the demon slayers in whatever capacity they should need. They accepted the offer, Miroku telling him the most likely place they would be needed, which was the edges of the city once they discovered where exactly the runes were to be placed for each cardinal direction. If this was the final stretch of Tsubaki’s plan then she wouldn’t leave anything to chance. There would be someone or some _thing_ guarding them. It would take someone with spiritual power to purify the runes but the slayers could protect the spiritualists while they performed the purifications. Miroku and Kagome would have to be at Aoyama Cemetery where they predicted Tsubaki would be. However Kagome mentioned she knew a few people she could call in some favors from. It would be a drive for them but considering everything at stake, she felt confident they would be willing to help.

Once everything had been decided they exited the building and, standing on the grounds, said their goodbyes. Sango’s father clasped Miroku’s arm firmly, giving him a nod of approval then granted him a rare grin. “That was damn good work back in there. You may actually be worthy of my daughter, yet.”

“Thank you, sir.” Miroku said, then gave a half smile of his own. “I’m not worthy, but I’ll never stop striving to be. Thank you for your hospitality. It was an honor to meet the man who raised Sango.”

After the four of them had said their farewells to the rest of her relatives they began to walk back to the car. Halfway there Yui dashed after them, catching hold of Miroku’s sleeve. He stopped in surprise, looking down at the child.

“I...I just wanna talk real quick. Ask you somethin’.” She said. 

Miroku’s curiosity was piqued and he crouched down to bring his face level with hers, smiling. “Ask away.”

Sango noticed and stopped a short distance away, far enough so that Yui thought they had privacy but close enough to hear everything that was said. Kagome looked back and Sango waved her and Inuyasha on.

“You have really pretty eyes.” Yui told him. He grinned at that.

“Thank you. So do you.” He winked.

“Th-thanks.” She said, blushing a little. “Uhm...well, uhm...you’re the boy Cousin Sango likes, right?” 

“Yes.” Miroku replied, still smiling.

“Do you really like her too?”

“I do.”

“She’s really strong, isn’t she?”

“The strongest.” Miroku confirmed. He wondered where Yui was going with all these questions. 

“Are you strong, too?”

“I’d like to think so.”

“Good. Will you take care of Cousin Sango? She’s really strong but she seems kinda lonely sometimes. But she doesn’t seem so lonely anymore now. I think it’s because of you.” Yui confided in him. 

Sango flushed pink at her little cousin’s words. Lonely? She could see the twinkle in Miroku’s eye as he glanced her way and she suppressed a scowl. She hadn’t been _lonely_ ; she’d been doing just fine. It was kind of embarrassing that her kid cousin had thought so, but at the same time...with Miroku she felt like some part of her that had remained empty for so long was being filled in the best way possible. She felt more content than she had in a long time despite the situation they were all in. So maybe there was some truth to Yui’s words after all.

“I’ll always take care of her, just like she’ll always take care of me. And she’ll never be lonely again with me, so don’t you worry.” Miroku tousled Yui’s hair. 

She grinned at him shyly. “When I grow up I hope I find a boy like you.”

Miroku laughed. “That’s quite a compliment. Maybe not entirely like me, though.”

“Why not?”

“I can’t tell you until you’re older.” He teased and she pouted.

“Ugh, all you adults always say that!”

“He’s right.” Sango spoke up from where she stood. “Besides if he told you, I’d have to smack him.”

“Right. And we don’t want that.” Miroku grinned at the little girl and she gave a smile back. “And it’s too soon for you to be thinking about boys. Focus on being strong and confident like your cousin here and when you’re older the boys will be coming to you in flocks. A pretty girl like you? I guarantee it.” Miroku said.

“Really?” Yui’s eyes widened.

“Oh, yes. You’ll be a heartbreaker.” He winked.

She giggled. “Okay. Well bye, then! It was really nice meeting you.”

“You too, Yui.”

Smiling brightly, she waved goodbye to them. Sango watched, feeling her heart soften at the sight of Miroku with her baby cousin. Inuyasha wasn’t the only one surprisingly good with kids. It honestly shouldn’t have been a surprise to her, though. He was so good with people, why shouldn’t that extend to children? It seemed there was almost no one Miroku couldn’t charm.

“What’s the hold up? Come on!” Inuyasha complained as he was growing impatient. He wanted to get Kagome back home so she could fucking rest!

“We’re coming! Jeez, have a little patience.” Sango called back, rolling her eyes. Miroku stood again and she took his hand, appreciating the warmth of it. Lifting her gaze from where she looked at her hand in his, she met his eyes and he raised his eyebrows in question. 

“I wasn’t lonely.” She said defensively and Miroku’s lips twitched as he tried to keep from smiling. Sango scowled. “I wasn’t!”

“I didn’t say anything.” 

“You didn’t have to.”

“Have I mentioned how cute you are?”

“Shut up.”

“I’m very tempted to tell you to make me.”

In response, Sango stood on her toes and gave him a quick kiss. As she pulled away he yanked her back to him, using his grip on her hand, and captured her lips again, taking his time and kissing her thoroughly while wrapping his free arm around her waist. In the distance her Aunt Zakuro gave an appreciative whistle and they both broke apart with a laugh.

“Ugh, can’t ya save that shit for when ya get home?” Inuyasha groused.

“Stop complaining.” Kagome said, grabbing hold of the half demon’s forelocks and giving him a lingering kiss as well. Pulling away she grinned up at his stunned expression. “There, now you can’t complain.”

He sputtered and Sango met eyes with Kagome. The two of them burst into peals of laughter and she held on to this moment tightly, tucking it away inside her heart. She had a feeling it would be the last bit of lightheartedness they would have for a long time.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout out as always to lavendertwilight89 for being my beta and to hnnwnchstr for being my hype girl <3
> 
> Kudos and comments keep me going, please tell me what you think! I appreciate everything who has invested their time into reading this and hope you continue to stick with me as we reach the battle with Tsubaki.
> 
> This story has also been nominated for Best Action for the 2020 4th Quarterly Inuyasha Fandom Awards, run by Feudal Connection! I am so excited to have my story nominated!! Voting is Oct. 29th - Nov. 12th! Please vote, even if it isn't for me! Everyone's works are so amazing.

While Tsubaki had spent the last month and longer taunting them with whispered threats in their minds, visions of herself gloating, and curses left behind to torment them...she had never appeared to them face to face. That would change soon, though. The night in question was quickly approaching and there were still so many preparations to be made before their final confrontation with her. No longer would she be able to hide behind another and have them do her dirty work for her. The dark priestess would be hunted and taken down without mercy for everything she had done and still intended to do. The diabolical plan she had set in motion but hadn’t yet completed; a plan they wouldn’t let her succeed in carrying out.

The day after they had visited Sango’s family and gotten the support of the slayers, Inuyasha gritted his teeth, sucked it up, and called his brother again. While he wasn’t expecting much it was necessary to keep Sesshomaru in the loop even if he didn’t lend them any assistance. He _was_ the Lord of the West, after all. Hopefully with everything they had uncovered his brother would change his tune about helping them, but even if he didn’t they would manage. The only reason he was sucking up his pride was because Kagome’s safety was riding on this, along with that of his friend Miroku and even Sango.

The phone rang a few times before the low tones of his brother’s voice came through the line. 

“Hello, little brother. Calling again so soon?”

“Hey. Listen, I wouldn’t be callin' your ass if it wasn’t fuckin' necessary.” Inuyasha snapped, his resolve to be polite already abandoned. His brother just had that effect on him.

“And what is so necessary?”

“Stop soundin’ so bored. We know Tsubaki’s plan.”

“Yes, the plan to resurrect Naraku, I am aware of it. Come to me when you have new information, Inuyasha.” Sesshomaru’s voice was dismissive. Prick.

Inuyasha’s hand clenched on the phone and he had to make a conscious effort not to crush the object. It wasn’t the phone’s fault his brother was a fucking dick. “Do ya think I’d be callin’ to tell ya shit you already fuckin’ know? Don’t fuckin’ answer that.” Inuyasha took a deep breath and reminded himself why he was calling in the first place. It wasn’t just to inform his brother of the happenings in his ‘territory’, but to try to enlist his help...yet again. “Anyways, we had a couple other fights with the bitch and she got overconfident. Left us a riddle. We figured it out.”

Sesshomaru exhaled on the other end, the sound suspiciously close to a laugh. “ _You_ solved a riddle? Inuyasha, I have better things to do with my time than to listen to your feeble attempts at humor.”

“I said _we_ not _me,_ ya jackass. Fuck, can you stop being a dick for ten seconds? This is shit that seriously affects your territory, or do you not fuckin’ care?”

“Hn. Alright I’m listening.” Sesshomaru sighed.

“God, talkin’ to you is the worst.” Inuyasha grumbled, then went on to relay all the information they had regarding the particulars of Tsubaki’s plan and when and where they had surmised it was all going to go down. The strong possibility of there being extremely powerful runes placed at the four cardinal directions of the city, meant to encompass the whole of Tokyo, was the part Inuyasha hoped Sesshomaru would agree to lend some assistance with. The demon slayers were capable but extra demonic muscle never hurt, especially when dealing with that shady bitch.

“There is no proof in your predictions, but I must admit the logic is sound. And the risk should she succeed too great to take.” Sesshomaru admitted. “Very well. You shall have our assistance. You have three days to find out where these runes will be placed and give me their locations. That way we have two days to prepare before she attacks.”

“Our?” Inuyasha repeated.

“Yes, this Sesshomaru, Kagura, and perhaps some others. The twins might enjoy such an assignment; they have been pestering us for more responsibility.” _The twins_ referred to his daughters, Towa and Setsuna. “I will notify Kagura of this turn of events.”

Inuyasha had to force the words out of his throat but he swallowed his pride and coughed it up. “Thanks...I’ll be in touch.”

“Hn. This is serious. Obviously I will defend my territory.”

They ended the call and Inuyasha went to find Kagome to update her and see if she had any success on her end. The priestess was trying to figure out where Tsubaki would place the runes, assuming her theory was correct. Kagome was having a lot of second thoughts about that and he thought it was kind of ridiculous. She, along with Miroku and Sango, had figured out the riddle so why would she be wrong about this? She had good instincts, and maybe part of that was due to some kind of charmed intuition granted to her by her spiritual powers, but either way-- she usually tended to be right about these kinds of things.  
  


Meanwhile Kagome had been making a call herself. Multiple ones, actually. She just needed four other spiritualists to come to their aid, people who were strong in their powers and knew what they were facing and willing to take the risk anyway. The pickings were rather slim thanks to all the comatose spiritualists Tsubaki had left behind in her wake. It was difficult but after many calls she managed to scrounge up some willing and able volunteers. She breathed a sigh of relief when she ended the last call, sagging against her bed. 

She wanted to lay down, she felt so tired but there was too much to do that she couldn’t justify lazing around just because. She compromised by allowing herself a few minutes to sit and lean back against her pillows, closing her eyes for just a moment. That moment ended far too soon when she heard Inuyasha walk through her bedroom door. She didn’t even bother to open her eyes at his entrance.

“How did it go?”

“The bastard actually agreed to help.”

“Then maybe you shouldn’t call him a bastard.”

“He’s still a dick.”

Kagome gave a noncommittal shrug, still not opening her eyes. The bed dipped and shifted as he no doubt crawled onto it with her. She could feel the heat of his body as he loomed over her, his legs brushing against hers. She couldn’t keep the smile entirely off her face at that.

“Whaddya doin’ layin’ around?” His voice was right above her; she could feel his breath on her face. Still, her eyes remained closed.

“Just resting for a moment.”

“So while I’m gettin’ my balls busted by my brother, you’re lazing on your bed?”

She popped an eye open at that. “Hey! I just made like twenty phone calls back to back while attempting to win people over to help us. I’m allowed to take a moment.”

Inuyasha gave her a half smile, his fang peeking out over a lip. His silver hair fell down in a curtain around them. “I dunno. I feel like I deserve it more.”

“Is that so?”

“You’ve never dealt with my brother.”

“True. But I’m taking a moment anyways.”

“Then I’m takin’ this.”

Inuyasha leaned down and closed the distance between their lips, tasting her. His mouth moved over hers and she wrapped an arm around him while her other hand wound its way into his hair. They were allowed these moments. It wouldn’t be long until they would be too busy, too frayed with nerves from the preparations and anticipation of the impending altercation to enjoy the small things. And there was no telling how this battle would turn out. She would take advantage of every moment she could.

~☆~

Sango awoke to a feeling of trepidation laying heavy in her stomach.

It had been four days since she had been to see her family. It would be only one more day until they faced Tsubaki. There were so many emotions running through her at the thought. Anxiety, anticipation, restlessness, the thrill of the hunt...

Battle was nothing new to her but this...this was different. She had never engaged in a fight where so much had been at stake before. In fact, she had never been thrust into so many life-threatening situations back to back until this whole Tsubaki mess had started. And the fight that would take place tomorrow night...that battle would be the culmination of every confrontation she and her friends had been a part of since the start. Since meeting Miroku.

The leaden knot of disquiet loosened slightly at that and the corners of her mouth kicked up in a small smile. If there was one good thing to have come from all this, it had been that. Never in a million years would she have dreamed that a man like _Miroku_ would be the one she’d go weak in the knees for. And the man he had apparently been before meeting her wasn’t. But the man Inuyasha had told her he’d become since meeting her? He was just so... _perfect_ for her. His witty and goofy nature balanced out her tendency to be a little more serious and reserved. He was the yin to her yang, and yet although they seemed like opposites in so many ways, they were the same in many others. Ways that counted. He was perfect. Infuriating, perverted, with a tendency to flirt too much, but still...perfect to her in all the ways that mattered.

When she had woken up, Miroku hadn’t even stirred beside her, which she supposed made sense. He had spent the better part of the night before imbuing countless ofuda with his spiritual power, and giving blessings to other holy objects to assist the slayers in their own fight. Even though Kagome had gotten some other spiritualists on board with helping them, they weren’t taking any chances. Everyone would be going in armed to the teeth. 

Using so much of his power had exhausted him, so Sango had left him in bed to get more rest while she got up. She had stroked his hair fondly then given him a soft, chaste kiss before rising and putting on a loose fitting t-shirt with some shorts. While she knew Miroku wouldn’t mind in the slightest the sight of her walking around naked she wasn’t exactly comfortable with the idea. She still had _some_ shame, unlike her boyfriend. 

Now, in the kitchen, she continued to think as she began to prepare breakfast. Remembering how he had once made breakfast for her to help her regain her own strength she wanted to do something similar for him now. Taking out some eggs, green onion, cheese, and bacon from the fridge she set to work.

A couple days ago Kagome had figured out exactly where the four runes at each cardinal direction of the city would be placed. While it was still more of a suspicion than an actual known fact, everyone trusted Kagome’s judgement. It also made the most sense if they considered everything else. Between the riddle, the spell they knew the dark priestess was going to cast, and her taunting words during the location ritual...something massive was going to go down.

 _“Oh, is that all? You’re still as clueless as ever if you think that’s_ everything _.”_

Those had been Tsubaki’s words to Miroku and Kagome. Activating her dark runes and linking them together with her power until it consumed all of Tokyo was the most likely scenario and would explain her confidence. If she had that much power at her fingertips to consume she would be almost unstoppable. So they would just have to prevent that from happening. Easier said than done. Lady Kaede had said Tsubaki specialized in mirror and illusion magic, but that she also dabbled in a bit of everything and was extremely powerful, so there was really no telling what they would be facing. 

The waiting was the worst part. Sango was capable and confident in her abilities and so were Miroku, Kagome, and Inuyasha. But that did nothing to make her small fears and doubts entirely dissipate. She sighed, giving herself a slight shake. She needed to be thinking empowering thoughts rather than dwelling on depressing possibilities. Taking a spatula, she flipped the omelette in the frying pan and began working on preparing the next one to cook.

The sound of shuffling footsteps behind her told her that Miroku had finally gotten up and entered the kitchen. Shortly after she heard his approach she felt his arms wind around her waist and the heat of his bare chest at her back.

“Good morning. Did you get enough rest?” She greeted.

“I did. Do my eyes deceive me or are you making breakfast?” Miroku rested his chin on the top of her head, pulling her back against him. 

Sango smiled, leaning into him. “I am. I can be domestic too.”

“Mmm. I see that.” Miroku moved his head to her neck and began to press tiny kisses along her skin and she bit her lip to keep a gasp from escaping. 

“Miroku...I‘m trying to cook!”

“I’m not stopping you.”

She felt his lips curve into a smirk against her neck as he lightly sucked and nipped, before kissing away the sting. He knew exactly what he was doing. It was so annoying, and also so...arousing. She squirmed a little bit.

“It’s...very distracting.” She managed, then made a choked sound as he ground into her from behind, letting her feel the hardness of his cock against her ass. 

“Good.” He said, continuing his ministrations. "I'd hate to think my touch had no effect on you."

One of his hands slid from her waist up to her breasts and lightly cupped one of them in his palm. Softly squeezing while his thumb traced the outline of her nipple through her t-shirt, he coaxed a small moan from her lips. Almost reflexively, Sango arched her back and rubbed herself into him. Satisfaction filled her at the sound of his own moan and the tightening of his hand at her breast.

His other hand slid further south until it dipped to the juncture of her thighs, the touch of his fingers as soft as a whisper as he teased her. Slowly, he stroked at her through the shorts she suddenly wished she wasn’t wearing. Her breath caught in her throat as heat flooded her body, pooling between her thighs. The way he was touching her sent her head spinning.

“M-Miroku…” His name was almost a plea. He ground himself against her ass again. He was hot and hard and ready and his touch became more demanding. 

The smell of something burning caught her notice and she vaguely remembered what she had been doing before he had decided to take up her attention. Breakfast...right. She was trying to make breakfast. For him. 

“I...I can’t focus when you’re doing that.” 

“Are you asking me to stop?”

“I...I didn’t say that.” Her voice was breathy and she bit her lip to keep another moan from escaping. He tweaked at her nipple and the hand between her legs stroked harder as he pressed himself into her ass again.

“Mmm. Then what’s wrong?”

“I’m...I’m trying to make you breakfast, d-dammit!”

“I’m hungry for something else, right now.” He whispered seductively into her ear and _oh God._ It really wasn’t fair how he could make her weak in the knees with just a few words and the touch of his talented hands. Hands that continued to entice her until she was breathless. When he removed one of them from her body a tiny whine formed in her throat and she flushed in equal parts embarrassment and arousal at her need. 

Miroku didn’t miss it, of course, and he chuckled, the smug sound sending vibrations over the sensitive skin of her neck, where his mouth still worked. Tingles ran through her body at the feeling. God, she loved his mouth on her neck. Hell, she loved his mouth anywhere on her, if she was being honest. And his tongue. And his hands. And his body. Just...all of him. She wanted all of him on all of her.

She watched in a daze as the hand that had been between her legs reached up to move the pan off the burner and then turned the stove off. She moaned at the feel of his hard cock pressing into her as he leaned forward, hot lust coursing through her veins and making her literally drip with desire. How could he still think so clearly while she was reduced to a mass of sexual need? She wanted to be irritated at him for that but she was far too gone to have room in her head for any thoughts that didn’t include Miroku touching her. Fucking her. 

“I just wanted...to do something...for you.” She somehow got the words out even as his hand returned to her body. He caressed her ass, giving it a firm squeeze before rocking himself into her yet again, only this time he didn’t stop his motions. He kept rubbing his dick in the cleft of her ass cheeks until they were both panting. Releasing the spatula from fingers that had forgotten about it until now, she gripped the edge of the kitchen counter with her hands and rolled her hips back against him, letting out a small cry. She was so wet and on fire with need for his touch.

“You’re doing something for me right now.” He said, voice husky, as he moved against her. Fuck, she felt so good in his arms. Her body fit against his perfectly. And her sweet ass cradled his cock just right as he thrust behind her.

“Th-that’s not...what I meant.” Sango gasped out as his hand hooked around the waistband of her shorts, pulling them down. _Yes_. _Please._ She wanted-- no _needed_ his hand on her, needed him to finger her, needed the touch of his fingertips circling over her clit, pressing down, faster and faster until she came. She needed him so bad it was an ache.

“Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.” He confessed, his tone unrepentant, his breath coming in harsh pants.

“Mmm.” She moaned. It wasn’t what she meant to reply with but her shorts were currently around her ankles and his hand was between her legs again and _oh_ _fuck_. She leaned forward onto the countertop and spread her thighs wider to give him better access and his fingers wasted no time sliding through her soaking wet folds to find her bundle of nerves. He gave it firm, short strokes and she trembled in his arms as he continued to thrust against her. “Ah! Mmm yes! _Ahh!_ ”

The fact that they were in the kitchen didn’t even register anymore. She just wanted him. The only thing she was aware of was his body behind hers. His hands at her breasts and stroking between her legs. Fingering her, alternately inserting a digit into her warmth then plucking at her clit. His hard dick rubbing insistently against her ass. The sound of his groaning in her ear. She truly didn’t care where they were as long as he didn’t stop touching her. The coil of her release began to tighten in her belly and his fingers moved faster, teasing, flicking, pressing and rubbing until she was moaning incoherently. And then he stopped and she almost sobbed, a choked sound lodging in her throat.

“M-Miroku! Please...d-don’t stop…” She begged, too drunk on her desire to care if she sounded desperate. And that’s what she was-- desperate. For him. 

“I’m not.” He kissed her neck in reassurance. “I want to see your face when you cum.” His voice was low in her ear and the next thing she knew she was being spun around and lifted up onto the counter next to the stove. In the next breath he was removing her t-shirt and leaving her completely naked while her dark hair floated back down around her in a cloud. His hands moved her legs apart and he stepped between them to kiss her lips and she responded instantly, hands clutching at him, roving across his body and threading themselves into his loose hair.

His lips moved hungrily over hers while his hands ran up and down the smooth skin of her thighs. Then his mouth began to drop lower, pressing against her chin, her neck, her collarbone, the space between her breasts. He paused there to give each perfect nipple a kiss, sucking lightly and eliciting another moan from Sango, before continuing to trail more kisses down her belly. When he got to her pelvis the tension in her abdomen curled in anticipation as he knelt in front of her.

Hooking his hands behind her knees, he pulled her closer to the edge of the counter and then his mouth was on her. His tongue traced the lines of her labia and she whimpered. Drawing wide circles with it that gradually became smaller with each orbit, his tongue made its way towards her center. He slowly closed in on her clit then gave it the barest flick of his tongue and she jolted, her back arching. A soft cry passed her lips as he repeated the process, over and over until she was writhing. She didn’t know how long he tortured her like this, a feeling so painful but so sweet, until finally he gave her what she was craving. 

Alternately licking and sucking at her clit, he drew her pleasure out until she was bucking against him, moans spilling from her as she panted. She was strung tight like a bow ready to snap and her fingers dug into his scalp from where she still had her hands entwined in his hair. So close...fuck, she was _so_ close to coming undone as his tongue stroked her nub faster. As he sucked it harder.

And then he stopped. Again. She let out a strangled scream of frustration. He kept bringing her to the brink only to back away at the last second, each time winding the coil of her release tighter and tighter. This time she did sob as her body shuddered at the loss of contact, so close to completion.

“P-please…"

Miroku gave her clit one last suck before kissing it. He stood and held her to him then pressed his mouth against hers once more. “Trust me, my dear Sango. I’m far from done. I promise.” His whispered assurance did little to make her feel better. "I want to be buried inside of you when you finally cum."

Sango tugged impatiently at the waistband of the sweatpants he still wore and he obligingly removed them. Finally, his cock sprang free, so erect it was almost flat against his stomach. She stared, growing even wetter, then reached for him.

He moaned as she ran her fingertips along his shaft, rubbing over his tip. She did it again, gripping him fully in her hand now, squeezing his thick length as she pumped him. He panted from her ministrations, his breath hot on her neck where he was kissing her. With an effort, he pulled her hand away and she tried to reach for him again.

“Feeling eager?” He teased, indigo eyes darkened with lust and love for her, and she almost growled. She knew he was enjoying himself, that he liked making her beg for him, that he found the change in her fascinating when she went wild for him. But she knew how to drive him wild, too.

“Inside me… I need you inside me.” She whined, then locked eyes with him, her cheeks flushed. She had never acted like this with any other man; only Miroku was allowed to see this side of her. She sobbed again with her need. " _Now._ God, I'm so wet for you. Just _fuck me,_ Miroku. Make me cum. You started this, now finish it!"

A fire ignited within him at that, sweeping through his body and almost making his control snap. His dick gave a painful twitch. His eyes dilated and he sucked in a breath at her words, and a corner of his mouth tilted up in a knowing fashion even as he lined up his cock at her entrance. Fuck, he loved it when she talked dirty to him, probably because it was so at odds with her usual behavior. To hear such base, vulgar demands from her lips turned him on beyond all reason. He knew she was doing it to get a rise out of him and he didn't care because he was loving it.

"I can't deny you when you ask me like that." He confessed, rubbing the tip over her clit. She exhaled breathily, her hands reaching out to wrap around his neck.

With a single push he was inside her and she moaned loudly, her hips shifting against him. He began to thrust into her heat, giving it to her hard. Her walls stretched around his dick as the tip pressed at her sweet spot, driving her crazy.

"YES! God, yes!" Sango cried out, wrapping her legs around his waist and drawing him in deeper.

"Fuck, Sango." Miroku groaned, his hands at her waist, holding her in place while he fucked her. A hoarse cry tore out of him from the feel of her pussy clenching tightly around his cock. "You’re just as...perverted as me...aren’t you?"

"Y--your fault! Ahh! Oh fuck, it's so good...just don't-- Mmm!-- Don't you dare...stop again!"

"I won't stop. Not until...you cum around my cock. Again and again." He growled, thrusting faster.

It was as if his words triggered her first release and _holy. FUCK._ She came harder than she ever had before, her orgasm racing through her with an intensity that had her shaking. She thought she might have been screaming because Miroku's hand was over her mouth. She didn't know. She was mindless as she exploded into tiny pieces. Her eyes rolled back as her walls tightened and fluttered around his cock.

Her climax hadn't slowed him down in the slightest. He continued to pound into her as she came and when she could think again she whimpered, feeling another one begin to build on the heels of the first. She clutched at him and it wasn’t long until he took her to the precipice again before she fell and it crashed over her in waves. Cries were wrenched from her as she arched her back, her vision going white. Throwing her head back, she knocked it on the cabinets behind her but she didn’t care, too consumed by the pleasure he was giving her.

Miroku groaned as he felt her cum, struggling to hold back his own release. The blissed out look on Sango’s face captivated him. When she had started screaming from the ecstasy he almost lost it, quickly muffling her sounds with his hand so the neighbors wouldn’t hear. He had never seen her so undone before but it was one of the most erotic things he had ever witnessed.

Fuck, she was perfect. Her eyes were glazed over, her fingers digging into his shoulders where she clung to him as he slammed in and out of her wet core. Just the sight of her in the throes of passion was almost enough to make him cum but he was determined to bring her to her peak one more time before claiming his own. Moving his hand from her mouth, he gripped her waist again while his lips took hers, all her cries and gasps of pleasure joining with his as he kissed her.

“It’s too much...fuck, it’s so good…” She moaned softly. God, the friction of his cock moving inside her walls and his pelvis rubbing against her clit with each hard thrust was sending her straight to heaven. She was still so sensitive from her first two orgasms and she didn’t know if she could handle a third. He felt incredible.

“You feel amazing.” Miroku panted back at her. “God...you’re so beautiful.”

He thrust into her faster and faster and she tightened her legs around his waist in response. They were both so close. The tension inside of her was mounting and by the way his muscles tensed under her fingers and the way he was breathing so shallowly against her lips she knew it was the same for him, too.

“I...I need…please, oh fuck-- Miroku!!!” Her moans increased in volume until she came for the third time in a row. It stole her breath for a second, the pure unadulterated bliss, and she shuddered violently. The pressure inside her snapped and her walls clamped down around his dick while she screamed for him again. He swallowed her cries with a hungry kiss, devouring her, seconds from his own climax. She would have been embarrassed by all her screaming if she could think but all her thoughts had scattered at the sheer rapture.

At the feel of her orgasm Miroku finally let himself go, his whole body going rigid while he came. He cried out her name as he spilled himself, pumping his seed into her. He couldn’t stop his own loud groan at the feeling; it was phenomenal. Sparks of pleasure danced over his skin at the force of his release.

When the ecstasy had passed he broke their kiss and she rested her forehead on his chest while he curled his arms around her. They stayed that way for a while, catching their breath. Sango knew she should move off the kitchen counter but she felt positively boneless. When Miroku began to pull away she slumped forward and he caught her.

“Sango?” 

“I can’t move…”

Miroku took a moment to process her statement. Then he grinned. “So what you’re saying is I actually fucked you senseless?”

“If I see you smirking at me I’m gonna kick your ass once I can move again. Jerk.”

“Is that any way to talk to someone who just gave you the best sex you’ve ever had?”

“It’s only fair. You ruined the breakfast I was trying to make for you. It’s all burned and cold now.”

He laughed and pressed a kiss onto the top of her head. “I’m sorry. I just...needed you.”

She nuzzled her face against his chest and sighed. “Oh well.” But something in his voice had her raising her head to look into his eyes. Humor danced in them but something else lurked beneath the surface, something she couldn’t put a name to. It occurred to her that he might be just as anxious about tomorrow as she was. He was just always so good at hiding things behind that glib smile of his and a witty remark. “Are you worried? About tomorrow?”

Miroku’s smile twisted into something a little more wry. “Yes.” He admitted. 

He couldn’t explain it but he had woken up with a feeling deep in his bones. Like all those times Kagome “just had a feeling” and she turned out to be right. It was a spiritualist thing, a type of premonition, and while he had had a few of those feelings himself, they were few and far between...but what he was feeling right then-- it felt the same. He felt a foreboding that something was going to go horribly wrong, something with Sango, and that had overtaken him with the need to touch her, feel her on his skin, around him, as a sort of reassurance to himself. And maybe he was being paranoid and confusing his own anxieties for an actual premonition but the possibility didn’t make him feel any better about it.

Sango found she was able to move again and stroked his cheek with a hand, her gaze searching his. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“No.” He told her honestly. There was no need to worry both of them when he didn’t have any details and couldn’t even put it into proper words.

“Okay.” She accepted it without argument, and he loved her even more for that.

“I want to eat the breakfast you were making me.” He continued, deftly changing the subject.

She frowned. “I told you, it’s cold now. And you made me burn it by...distracting me.”

“I don’t care. I want to eat it anyway.” 

As if to prove his point he reached into the now-cool skillet the omelette was in and picked it up, taking a bite. Sango cringed a little bit; cold eggs were not tasty. But he just shrugged at her gesture.

“It was my fault; I’m sure this was delicious. I’ll just warm it up in the microwave.”

“If you insist.” She said doubtfully.

“I do.” He winked. “Are you able to move now, or shall I assist you by carrying you to a chair?”

Sango smacked his chest. “Try not to sound so smug. I’m fine. And I need to shower.”

“What a coincidence. So do I.” His eyes sparkled mischievously at her.

“ _Alone._ ” Sango said, pushing against him.

“I can behave myself.” 

Sango gave him a look and he did his best to appear as innocent as possible. She sighed. “Okay, but _only_ if you behave yourself.”

He scooped her up without another word and she gave a squeal of surprise as he carried her off to the bathroom. For a little while more she was able to forget the impending battle that loomed on the horizon.

~☆~

The day of Tsubaki’s ritual arrived and as they gathered together and prepared to head out, the sun was disappearing, taking the light and any possibility of turning back with it. Not that any of them would; they had their plans and were as ready as they would ever be. A new, paler glow replaced it as the moon rose to take its place. The silvery light seemed colder than usual to Sango, but perhaps that was merely the gravity of what they were about to face. She prayed to any God listening for their success. Anything less and the city would be a ghost town while one of the worst enemies humanity faced would walk the earth again.

Just before the four of them gathered they had all received some form of communication from the slayers, the youkai, and the spiritualists, confirming that they too were heading out and getting into position. Their assigned spots-- the places Kagome estimated would be the site of the large runes Tsubaki planned to use to suck Tokyo dry of all its souls to fuel her dark spell and the resurrection of Naraku.

There were about four hours until the actual showdown with the dark priestess and whatever minions she currently had under her thrall. It was far too early for battle still, but they wanted to do some reconnaissance and Kagome had another reason for meeting earlier that she had yet to explain. She had merely sent a cryptic text to Sango, stating it was something Inuyasha was going to fight her on and she didn’t have the energy to argue with him about it twice. 

“I want to go to the areas I predicted the four runes would be placed at.” Kagome said without preamble once they were all together. 

“Are ya fuckin’ serious?” Inuyasha immediately started. “You’re not gonna waste all your energy on those damn runes before we even face that bitch! Save it for the fight!”

Kagome rolled her eyes, fighting the urge to glare. She'd known this would happen, and she knew he meant well, but she still found herself getting annoyed.

“You don’t get to tell me what to--”

“The hell I don’t! You’re my fucking mate, dammit!”

Miroku and Sango exchanged glances; Miroku raised his eyebrows while Sango gave him an answering bemused look. Her lips were set into a firm line, her eyes unsurprised. She gave a slight shake of her head. They definitely weren’t getting involved in this. Still, they didn’t exactly have time for Inuyasha and Kagome to argue, either.

Kagome was silent for a moment, blinking in surprise at that rather heated declaration. Her heart fluttered briefly before the rest of his words caught up with her, causing her to sigh in a long-suffering manner.

“That doesn’t mean you get to order me around. And I wasn’t done talk--”

“I’m not orderin’ ya, but it’s still literally my job to look out for ya, and--”

“Inuyasha would you just shut up and let me finish!” Kagome yelled. Then, more quietly, "Please."

The half demon scowled but complied.

"Have some faith, would you? I'm not an idiot, you know." Kagome said, crossing her arms over her chest. "I want to make sure I was correct. If I got the places wrong and Tsubaki manages to activate the runes and link them all together then we’re screwed.”

Inuyasha didn’t say anything, just scowled some more. Kagome didn’t add that she had wanted to check them out sooner but there was an extremely high possibility that Tsubaki was observing those locations and Kagome didn’t want to tip their hand to the dark priestess before it was time.

“Kagome is right, Inuyasha.” Miroku said. “It’s the smart thing to do. I was also going to suggest the same thing, although for a different reason.”

“Really? You too?” Inuyasha grumbled.

“Kagome managed to enlist the help of four other spiritualists, but she has only a passing knowledge of them. We do not know how well they will hold up under the purification of the runes or anything else Tsubaki has to throw at them. She won’t have left the runes unguarded; she’s not stupid. Also, someone still has to activate them.”

“Right.” Sango agreed. “Tsubaki likely has some of her minions chosen to take care of that task and I can’t imagine she would send her weakest followers for such an important duty.”

“Also, the other spiritualists don’t know what to look for, with either their eyes or their senses, to find the rune. I need to point it out to them.” Kagome patiently explained.

“Shouldn’t they be able to figure it out if they’re spiritualists?” Inuyasha stubbornly persisted. “How powerful are they really if they can’t sense it themselves?”

“Inuyasha…” Kagome said in warning.

“I also have extra protection I would like to lend to them and Sango’s family.” Miroku added.

Sango’s family meant the demon slayers. They were a force to be reckoned with but they likely had never faced anything like what was about to go down tonight. Yes, Sesshomaru was lending reinforcements as well, but even those were limited. There would be only a few people at each site having to not only purify the rune and prevent it from being activated, but also to fight anyone the dark priestess decided to send. And that was only half of the battle. The other half would be their responsibility-- taking down Tsubaki and breaking the spell that held all the souls, reiki, and youki in limbo.

Inuyasha didn’t look happy but he clearly didn’t have a good argument against it either. It was the logical choice and he knew it.

“Fine. But no using your powers; I mean it. That goes for both of ya.” Inuyasha directed a look at Miroku as he said that and the monk just shrugged. “You guys are the best bet we have against Tsubaki and all her damn spells and magics.”

“Deal. Let’s get going then.” Kagome said simply, and they piled their weapons into the car then headed out to the first location. 

As they made their way across the city the reality of what they were all about to do seemed to hang over their heads, the weight of it pressing down upon all of them. Minutes that turned into hours ticked by as they hit up each site. At each one, Kagome and Miroku conversed with the spiritualist on hand, giving them advice, while Sango spoke to each member of her family and Inuyasha checked in with the demon assigned to that site by Sesshomaru. Kagome confirmed where the rune was placed by using the lingering residual energy from her own experiences with Tsubaki’s runes to sense its signature. Once located, she then directed the spiritualist to the appropriate spot. 

One by one they stopped at every location, circling the city. The last one they checked in with also happened to be the one Sesshomaru and his mate, Kagura, were keeping watch at. Sango’s brother Kohaku was there too, listening to the girl standing beside him as she asked him a question. Reiki pulsed around her in response to her emotions. The spiritualist, a young woman with short black hair and gray eyes, looked nervous to be in the presence of the daiyoukai even as he ignored everyone but his mate.

Sesshomaru regarded their approach with cold eyes while Kagura gave them a cheerful smirk. Turning her attention from the demons to her brother, Sango made her way to Kohaku’s side as he broke away from the side of the priestess. He gifted her a relieved smile, also feeling a bit tense about being in the presence of such power. Or perhaps it was just the shadow in all their minds that tonight might not end well for all of them. Forces were at work that most of them had never seen in their lives, not until the last couple of months.

“Feeling nervous?” She asked him.

“I should be asking you that question.” Kohaku answered dryly, then shrugged a little bit. “And a bit, but it will probably be nothing compared to what you and your friends are going to face tonight.”

“Your concern is touching, but don’t worry about me. Focus on keeping yourself and your team safe.” Sango reassured him with a smile. “We’ve all made it this far. No matter what she throws at us, we’ll take her down.”

“We’ll be counting on you, then.”

As Sango exchanged words of encouragement with her brother, Miroku and Kagome were conversing with the spiritualist, whose name Miroku discovered was Inori. She was strong but very young, barely eighteen, and extremely nervous about the responsibility thrust upon her shoulders and her present demonic company. However, there was a quiet fire in her eyes that spoke to her determination. He gave her some of the sutras he had made and then, excusing himself from the young priestess, Miroku walked to where Sango stood next to Kohaku, handing him one of the objects he had blessed as an extra protection.

“Think of it like a shield. It won’t do much, but should you find yourself in a tight spot, unable to defend yourself, it will shield you from supernatural threats for up to three times. Once those three times have been used up, I’m afraid it’s merely a useless trinket.” Miroku explained. 

“That’s...this is incredible. And extremely useful. Thank you.” Kohaku said with sincerity. He looked from the bracelet in his hand to Miroku, surprise and respect written on his face.

Miroku just gave him a smile in response and Sango felt a swell of pride in her chest at the lengths Miroku had gone to to try and protect her family in any way he could, and by doing so, protect _her_. Because her family was her heart. He knew how fiercely loyal and dedicated she was to those she loved and he had taken it upon himself to be just as committed as she was to them. It also occurred to her that he had no real family of his own, with the exception of his uncle, and so he had begun to consider her family _his_ family as well. 

Kagome broke off her own conversation with Inori to look at where Inuyasha was standing with Sesshomaru and Kagura. With business concluded she allowed herself a few minutes to really take them in; she had barely given them more than a nod of acknowledgement when they had first arrived. 

The familial resemblance was strikingly obvious between the two brothers now that she took a good look. Long silver hair, bright golden eyes, similar facial structure. Sesshomaru lacked the dog ears she so loved and had pointed ones in their place, along with a few facial markings that reminded Kagome of Inuyasha’s demon form. Two stripes of purple decorated each cheek while a crescent moon in the same hue rested in the middle of his forehead. His face was remarkably impassive which was a stark contrast to Inuyasha’s often expressive features. 

The woman standing next to him was dressed in a red and white kimono, snapping a fan in her hands. Her lips were full and painted red, and grinning at Kagome as she looked her over. Her eyes were large and just as crimson as her lips. Jade beaded earrings hung from her pointed ears and her lustrous black hair was twisted into a bun, long bangs brushing her forehead.

“Hello. I’m Kagome Higurashi.” She said, standing in front of the two of them and giving a polite bow. When that failed to receive a response from the daiyoukai she met his eyes and stuck out her hand. “It’s nice to meet you. Thank you for your assistance tonight.”

He looked at her face, then at her hand, but made no move to take it. Kagome gave up the pretense of being polite and her smile soured as she spoke.

“The polite thing to do is take my hand and shake it. Unless you don’t want to sully your hands by touching a human, of course.” 

Sesshomaru blinked, the only outward sign of his surprise, as he carefully took her hand in his, giving it a single firm shake before releasing it. Kagura chuckled beside him, hiding her grin behind her fan while Inuyasha just stared at her as if she had grown a second head. 

“Interesting.” Sesshomaru said. Maybe it was Kagome’s imagination but she thought she saw the barest upward twitch of his lips for a split second. 

“What is?” She asked.

Sesshomaru chose to ignore her question and respond to her earlier statements instead. “Thanks are not necessary. I am merely defending what is mine. Also, your...humanity is not an issue.”

“Then why is it an issue to you when it comes to Inuyasha?”

Kagura did nothing to try and contain her laughter this time and Sesshomaru spared her a glance with narrowed eyes. That did nothing but add to her amusement.

“Kagome, you don’t--” Inuyasha began.

“No, I don’t. But I’m going to anyway.” The priestess interrupted, turning a glare onto the daiyoukai before her. She grabbed hold of Inuyasha’s hand. “Listen. I don’t know if Inuyasha has informed you, but I am his mate. Which means _we_ will soon be family. You may be the great Lord Sesshomaru who rules over the youkai of Japan, but you _will_ treat your brother with some damn respect. Stop rubbing his nose in his human heritage like it’s something to be ashamed of. Being a half demon doesn’t make him lesser or dirty-- it makes him special in ways you will never begin to understand. So get over yourself already and try to make amends!”

With every word spoken she raised her voice until she was practically shouting at him. At this point she had gained everyone else's attention. They fell silent, looking on to see what his reaction would be, with varying degrees of nervousness and curiosity.

“...You are quite bold.” Sesshomaru said finally, after a long minute of silence. It was hard to tell what he thought of her little speech since his face remained as stoic as ever.

“‘Mate’?” Kagura repeated, looking at her with renewed interest. Kagome flushed a bit under her scrutiny but held her ground. “Hmm, a human as a mate. And a priestess at that. _Very_ interesting. Pleasure to meet you, Kagome.”

“If she is your mate then why is she still unmarked?” Sesshomaru asked, turning his attention from Kagome to the half demon.

“Th-that’s none of yer damn business!” Inuyasha sputtered.

“It’s complicated.” Kagome translated, trying to steer the conversation back to where she was going before. “But it’s true. I hope that once this battle is over you two can mend fences.”

Before anyone could respond to that, a demonic aura suddenly pressed down around them and with lightning quick precision, Sesshomaru spun and gave a flicking motion of his hand. A glowing rope of green extended from his clawed fingertips and whipped out to strike the intended target. The approaching demons were torn in half, wailing their death cries as more swarmed forward to take their place. They had appeared seemingly out of nowhere, with no warning.

“Some kind of portal was just opened!” Miroku called above the noise as he scanned the area with his senses. Sango stood beside him, prepared for a fight. 

"It stinks of black magic." Inuyasha agreed, wrinkling his nose and angling his body so that Kagome was behind him, much to her annoyance.

“I can sense it, too.” Inori said. Her face was screwed up in concentration as she zeroed in on the location of the portal. 

The demons were laughably weak and Sesshomaru cut them down as fast as they appeared, but for every one that he killed it seemed four more took their place. Kagura snapped her fan open and waved it in front of herself. The gesture caused a focused burst of wind to condense around her before it shot out in crescents of blue that sliced through the horde, ripping them to pieces. She smirked in satisfaction at the destruction. 

More demons rushed them and Kohaku stepped up, swinging the chain of his kusarigama. The bladed scythe tore through the flesh of the evil demons, blood spraying in the aftermath. Behind all the demons another figure appeared, walking forward towards them. This was the real threat, the one whom Tsubaki had sent to accomplish her dirty work.

It appeared Tsubaki’s attack at the four corners of Tokyo had just begun. 


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thanks go out to lavendertwilight89 for being an awesome beta and to hnnwnchstr for being my hype girl. You guys rock <3
> 
> I live for comments and kudos, because it lets me know that this is worth doing and people out there are appreciating this story. So please, drop a comment and tell me your thoughts! This chapter is slightly shorter but I hope it was still worth the wait. Thanks for reading <3
> 
> This story has also been nominated for Best Action for the 2020 4th Quarterly Inuyasha Fandom Awards, run by Feudal Connection! I am so excited to have my story nominated!! Voting is Oct. 29th - Nov. 12th! Head on over to tumblr to vote!!

The cries of demons filled the air as the figure walked towards them, his steps measured and unhurried. Tanned skin complimented his long black hair, which was pulled back into a braid. A purple cross adorned his forehead and dark blue eyes regarded them coolly. He stopped in front of them, an air of cocky confidence about him while a smirk played across his lips. He adjusted the weight of the large halberd resting against his shoulder, the muscles in his arms bunching at the motion.

“So this is where the party's at,” he said, shifting his weapon to hold it before him and entering into a battle stance.

“Who are you?” Sango demanded. Her body tensed in preparation for a conflict. 

“Name’s Bankotsu. My brothers are at the other areas taking out your friends as we speak.” 

“I highly doubt that’s true,” Kagura drawled, aiming another burst of her wind blades in his direction. Wind swirled around her in response to her attack as the razor sharp crescents streaked towards their target. A shield of demons came forward and took the blows in his stead, and when the carnage cleared he charged them. Despite his mortal appearance he was fast, almost preternaturally so. Sesshomaru unflinchingly met him head on with a single step, drawing the sword at his hip in a lightning quick motion. The sound of the two blades colliding was harsh and metallic in the night air.

“Ooh, you’re strong.” Bankotsu grinned at the daiyoukai. “This should be fun.” 

Sesshomaru merely narrowed his eyes in response, putting more strength into his grip as he pushed back against Bankotsu. The daiyoukai managed to drive him back a few steps and Bankotsu gave a delighted laugh. Sesshomaru glared, golden eyes flashing.

“You are not entirely human.” It was a statement rather than a question.

“Very observant.”

Ducking and whirling, Bankotsu thrust the huge bladed weapon again at Sesshomaru and the two traded blows back and forth. Even with Sesshomaru’s demonic strength they appeared to be evenly matched. What Bankotsu lacked in speed he made up for in strength and intuition. While Sesshomaru battled him the swarm of demons took advantage of the opportunity, trying to break through the ranks and make their way to where the rest of them stood. Kagura cut them down effortlessly with a mere wave of her fan, looking irritated and almost bored. 

A sound from behind was their only warning as more low-level demons attacked. They were surrounded. Miroku whirled, holding his shakujo out while Sango clutched at her wakizashi; her Hiraikotsu had been left in the car. The clink of a chain and the whistling of a blade cut through the air as Kohaku’s kusarigama slayed the demons before either of them could act. He stood in front of them, every line of his body focused and intent.

“Leave this to me. Save your strength for the real battle,” he said.

“But Kohaku--” Sango started.

“The kid is right. Get out of here,” Kagura called.

“Yes. We got this! Please, go!” Inori urged, standing in front of the wall that held the rune. She had erected a barrier around herself and was preparing to begin the long process of purification. It would take far longer than it had either Kagome or Miroku; not only were they stronger in their reiki than the young priestess, this rune was more complicated, more evil, and the enormity of it almost indescribable. 

“Don’t need to tell me twice. Let’s go,” Inuyasha said, grabbing Kagome and running towards where they had parked the car. She gave a yelp but didn’t fight him on it, Miroku and Sango hot on his heels. Kohaku covered their retreat, while Kagura watched Inori’s back. Sesshomaru continued to deflect and launch a flurry of strikes against Bankotsu, almost a blur to mortal sight as he moved. The other man was nimble on his feet and avoided all of his attacks, infuriating the daiyoukai. He snarled, his face twisting into something more inhuman, letting his inu youkai heritage show and take control.

The battle had begun but it wasn’t their fight. Theirs lied elsewhere, in a graveyard; it was almost time for the reckoning that had been a long time coming. 

Kagome threw up a barrier around all of them as they ran, and they quickly reached the vehicle, wrenching open the doors and practically flinging themselves inside. Once safely inside, Kagome dropped her barrier and they sped off. With their prey out of reach, the demons after them gave up pursuit, turning their attention back to those left behind to defend the rune’s location.

Even though they hadn’t engaged in the fight themselves, their blood was still racing as they made their way towards the heart of the city. Heading towards Yanaka Cemetery, they were all silent, tense with anticipation. The scene they had just left behind was no doubt being repeated across the city at the other three rune locations. Sango sent out a silent prayer for their success.

Glancing at the dashboard, she saw the time read 10:43 PM. They were cutting it close, and judging by the display they had just fled from, Tsubaki was likely already there, set up, and waiting for them. That was fine. They were ready for her. They had survived everything else she had thrown at them and they would survive this night, too. Anything less was unacceptable. Sango refused to consider it.

The minutes ticked by and as they made their way there, Sango saw all the people still out and about, walking along the sidewalks. They drove past shops that had just locked their doors to the public, restaurants with their last patrons of the night, the city still bustling and bursting with life. People driving around them, heading out for some fun or on their way home from a late night at work to be with their families. 

It hit her then how oblivious everyone was to the chaos that Tsubaki wanted to unleash upon the city...the country. Something about that realization made her even more resolved to protect them from the unknown evils that lurked in the shadows. That was her duty, her calling, as a demon slayer. This fight with Tsubaki, it was a new kind of battle she hadn’t faced before, but while the motivations for her need to defeat the evil had evolved, the heart of it remained the same. These people were unknowingly depending upon them and she couldn’t let them down. It just wasn’t an option.

Miroku noticed how deep in thought she was and, like always, seemed to know where her thoughts had gone. Sometimes she felt like he almost knew her better than she knew herself. He reached out to give her hand a squeeze of comfort. Her heart fluttered at the contact, and she wondered if it was just that the touch of his hand was still able to give her butterflies or if it was merely because of all the anxieties swirling within her.

The closer they got to the cemetery, the quieter the city became; they all realized the sight of people had gradually become more scarce. It was strange, and unnaturally so. Despite the late hour there should still have been people roaming about.

“It’s quiet. Too damn quiet,” Inuyasha said, voicing what they were all thinking.

“Yes,” Miroku agreed with a frown.

Kagome focused her energies for a moment, eyes closed. 

“There’s some kind of barrier in place. You almost wouldn’t even be able to tell it’s there unless you were looking for it,” she announced, opening her eyes and glancing out of the car window.

“A barrier?” Sango asked.

“Yeah. Tsubaki must have put up a glamour of some kind around the general vicinity of the cemetery. A sort of don’t-look-here or keep-away barrier that gives anyone with a mind to wander in the strong and sudden urge to find something else to do instead.”

“She’s not taking any chances on someone interrupting her tonight,” Miroku said.

“We got through the barrier just fine,” Inuyasha pointed out.

“We’re also not ordinary humans; that kind of thing wouldn’t work on people like us,” Kagome explained.

No one said anything else as they drove the rest of the distance. There was a heavy feeling in the air. Sango looked out the car window and saw the moon shining bright, a half circle that glowed pale and white and cold against the black of the night sky. She took a deep, steadying breath as Miroku parked the car. There was no evidence of anyone else at the cemetery but that didn’t mean anything.

Quickly and efficiently they all exited the vehicle and grabbed their weapons, arming themselves and scanning their surroundings. This time Sango knew she wasn’t imagining it as the air pressed down around her. There was an evil presence that was cloying and thick, but it was no mystery as to what the cause was.

The dark priestess was definitely there.

Walking through the gates of the cemetery slowly but deliberately, all of them were on high alert. The only source of light was the moon, now almost directly overhead. Even the stars seemed to be hiding. The silver light caused long shadows to stretch around them as the headstones and other stone monuments marking each grave loomed in the darkness. It would have been a little unnerving for someone more faint of heart, but their experiences had forged them into something stronger, with nerves of steel. They had all grown up with the supernatural right on their doorstep, faced it on an almost daily basis. This was nothing. The only thing to fear here was failure.

The path soon led them toward a section that possessed what appeared to be a stone altar. Mirrors were set upon it to one side and Miroku could feel the dark magic emanating from them all the way back to where he stood. The surface of the glass rippled as he looked on, almost as if something was trying to burst out. It was disturbing, especially when he considered how they were probably being used to contain all the souls, reiki, and youki for Tsubaki’s dark ritual. There were three of them, one for each component required. It made their theory that they were all being held captive within mirrors look like less of a theory and more of a certainty.

A woman stood next to the makeshift altar and she looked almost...satisfied to see them. It occurred to Miroku then that maybe their presence had actually been a part of her plan, but even if that was the case there was no way they would have not taken action against her. No matter what she had planned for them. She always seemed to be a few steps ahead of them, but even so, they would put up a hell of a fight to stop her. 

“Welcome to your funerals,” she said in greeting. “Fitting location, is it not?”

The light, feminine voice carried through the still air and they all tensed. Demons materialized from the darkness, obviously awaiting her commands. She was exactly as she had appeared to Miroku and Kagome in their shared vision during the location ritual. The long gray hair, that took on an almost silver hue in the moonlight, framed her ivory face. Her large green eyes stared at them coolly with a calculating edge and her red-painted mouth seemed to be set in a perpetual sneer. She tapped a finger lightly across those crimson lips, pretending to be in thought. However her shrewd eyes told another story.

“Tsubaki, I presume?” Miroku asked.

The woman tilted her head and grinned. “The one and only. I see you figured out that riddle I left you. Guess you’re smarter than I gave you credit for, but that just makes this more interesting.”

“Yeah, well guess you’re not as smart as ya thought. Bitch.” Inuyasha replied disparagingly.

“That’s rich coming from you, _dog_ ,” she laughed.

Inuyasha bristled but didn’t say anything else. 

“You’re not what I was expecting,” Sango taunted, reaching back to grip her Hiraikotsu. “I thought you would be more... imposing, but I’m less than impressed. I’m almost disappointed.”

"Appearances can be deceiving, slayer bitch,” Tsubaki spat, her face contorting in anger. “You won’t be running your whore mouth for much longer, I assure you.”

Sango let the insult roll off her back, but Miroku and Kagome weren’t so inclined. The monk stiffened beside her at the word _whore_ being used to describe her, his knuckles turning white as he clutched his shakujo, but he said nothing. Kagome glared, her lips pressing into a thin line. 

“The only whore here is _you_ , selling yourself away to demons, piece by piece. What a disgrace,” Kagome shot back, tightening her hold on her bow. “And you called yourself a priestess.”

Tsubaki merely shrugged. “Say what you will. I don’t regret my choices, but you _will_ regret crossing me.”

At a gesture from the dark priestess, the demons that had been lurking in the background surged forward to attack them. Kagome strung an arrow imbued with her power onto her bow and let it fly in a pink arc. It cut a swath through the crowd, disintegrating them into ash as they were instantly purified. More demons took their place and rushed them while Tsubaki erected a barrier around herself and the altar. 

“Oh, no you don’t,” Kagome muttered, aiming her next arrow for the dark priestess. Using the demons under her thrall as a shield, they took the hit while she simply stood there and smirked.

“I can do this all night. Although I only need the next…” she checked her watch, “forty minutes. But then, watching you all fight such weak demons is so boring. Forty minutes is a long time for such dull entertainment.”

“Then why don’t you just give up now?” Miroku snapped.

He tossed out a handful of sutras, the pieces of blessed paper burning the approaching demons to ash. More howled, the unearthly sounds coming from all around them in an echo that pulsed beneath his skin, but he didn’t drop his concentration or look away. Beside him, Sango spun around with her Hiraikotsu and threw it in a swift motion, watching his back just like he trusted her to. He could hear the sound of the boomerang cutting bluntly through demon flesh, the whirring of the weapon as it sliced the air, while he thrust his own weapon out. Whirling his staff, he pushed back a particularly nasty demon then jabbed the shakujo into its midsection before purifying it with a blue wash of his power.

“Please,” Tsubaki scoffed, rolling her eyes. “I’m not that desperate.”

Kagome’s goal had been to bring down her barrier, but obviously something would have to be done about the constant inundation of demons first. They would get nowhere near her if only because of sheer numbers, and Kagome didn’t want to waste a single arrow if she could help it. She had to make each and every one count. 

Her eyes scanned the area, looking with her spiritual senses and quickly locating where they all seemed to be emerging, pouring out in waves. As she had suspected, Tsubaki had rigged a portal to keep up the constant flow of demons. Despite how weak they were, their numbers were overwhelming, providing a more than adequate diversion while the dark priestess prepared the rest of her ritual. 

The portal was located to the left of where Tsubaki had set up shop, a gaping void of swirling black that was hard to make out amidst the darkness of the cemetery around it. But the evil aura it radiated was unmistakable. More demons crawled out and Kagome swallowed, watching. The one silver lining was the portal could only spawn a couple of demons at a time, but despite how fast they were killing them, their numbers didn’t diminish. 

They would have to stop the demons before they could stop Tsubaki. That meant closing the gateway.

Inuyasha was snarling, rending flesh with his claws, slicing out with his sword, blood spraying from his vicious attacks, but even he couldn’t keep them all away. Body parts littered the ground while a fine spray of black ichor misted down around him, mixing with the blood to wet the grass and paved stones at his feet. His long silver hair was spotted and streaked with the evidence of the massacre.

He kicked at one of the corpses, using it to block the advance of another nasty demon and meeting it with the swing of his sword as it stumbled forward, landing a diagonal slice clean through its chest. As its dead body hit the ground another one emerged from behind it. Inuyasha ducked before whirling and used the momentum to swing his sword clean through its neck. More blood rained down from the carnage.

“So fuckin’ annoying. I’m just gonna kill ya!” He growled.

The demons didn’t care; his warning didn’t stop their assault. Perhaps death was preferable to whatever Tsubaki had planned for them should they refuse. Or maybe she was using her power to compel them. There was only one thing Inuyasha knew for certain and it was that he would slaughter every last one of them if he had to.

The four of them had spread out as they fought, yet it didn’t hinder their ability to communicate. Kagome looked over to Miroku, locking eyes with him even as she concentrated her reiki in her palm to purify another demon that came too close for comfort. She could feel its fetid breath on her cheek before it turned to ash at her power.

“Demon portal!” She yelled over the chaos to the monk and he nodded, receiving the message; it would be up to him to close it.

Meanwhile, Kagome focused on her own self-assigned task-- forming her own barrier and shielding her friends. It rose in a dome of pink around them, encompassing a sizable chunk of the cemetery and, mostly importantly, her companions. Demons howled and shrieked as they met the sudden boundary of her power, enraged that their onslaught was suddenly halted. She smiled fiercely. Good.

Her barrier did nothing to protect from the demons already inside, however, and there were still plenty of those to contend with. As she maintained her barrier, her eyes searched out Tsubaki, who only gave a passing glance their way. A smirk curved the dark priestess’s lips, as if she found their struggles amusing, and a fresh wave of anger shot through Kagome. 

Tsubaki exuded nonchalance, as if she was merely playing with them, humoring them with a fight she knew they wouldn’t win. That was fine. The more she let her guard down the easier it would be when they showed her just how wrong she was.

Miroku gradually made his way to the portal, fighting his way through a horde trying to tear him limb from limb. His progress was made marginally easier by the shield Kagome had raised against the other demons, but it was useless against all the ones still trapped inside. They were determined to devour him, all gnashing teeth and sharp claws. Sango paused for the briefest of seconds to look at him, giving him a slight nod of understanding before resuming the fight, her slayer prowess granting her an impressively high body count.

After what seemed like countless minutes but was likely mere seconds, Miroku made it to the far edge of Kagome’s barrier, where the portal lay. Tsubaki’s altar was nearby, but she stood with her back to him, either not caring or not noticing his intentions. She must have heard Kagome calling out to him about the portal, so perhaps she just didn’t think him capable of it. 

It didn’t matter to him.

Throwing out a sutra, Miroku purified the demon materializing from the shadows as it tried to take a bite out of his arm. Retrieving more from the pocket of his jacket, he murmured a quick incantation, holding the slips of paper between his fingers as he chanted. His power pulsed out from him in a small wave, making the next demon attempting to sink a mouthful of fangs into him shudder and scream as agony gripped it. Finishing the incantation, he flung the sutras out around him in an arc, forming a trap of sorts as they attached themselves to fixed points on the ground. A blue glow raised from the places they lay, lines connecting and circling him in a makeshift shield.

Trusting in his power and Kagome’s barrier to keep him from harm while Inuyasha and Sango continued to savage the demons, Miroku set to work. Raising his hands in front of him as a focus, he poured his power into the destruction of the portal, purifying the evil, and dismantling the structure of the complicated spell Tsubaki had woven.

The portal was a void that spat out monsters while swallowing any power it came in contact with. When his reiki brushed against it, it eagerly reached for his power and he pulled back, reassessing his strategy. After some observation he realized it was drawing from the energy of the earth to feed itself, only a trace of Tsubaki’s power left in the spell’s composition. If he could cut off its connection to the earth it was bleeding dry, it would loop back to Tsubaki and drain her. She would have no choice but to shut it down or risk it affecting her precious ritual.

Now that he knew what to do, the rest was easy. In theory, if not in practice, anyway. As he carefully rearranged the workings of the spell, he finally gained the dark priestess’s attention.

“What do you think you’re doing?!” Tsubaki demanded.

It was Miroku’s turn to keep his back to her.

“What does it look like I’m doing?” he replied flippantly.

“You have some nerve. Fine, waste all your power destroying it. You still won’t stop me!”

“Oh, we will.”

He didn’t bother to point out that it would hardly take _all_ his power. She scoffed at his confidence.

“You and what army?”

“We don’t need an army. Listen, I hate to cut the conversation short, but I’m a little busy here. Do you mind?”

Miroku knew it probably wasn’t wise to needle her, not when she was a mere twenty yards away, but destroying the portal was taking all his concentration, and he figured between Kagome’s barrier and his own, he was relatively safe. And he felt reasonably sure she wouldn’t expend energy over what, in the long run, was a minor inconvenience to her, not when he could feel the immense power she was working to raise for her ritual.

“So cheeky,” she spat. “We’ll see how glib you are when you’re being used for my mate’s resurrection.”

Her words resounded uneasily in his mind; there something off about them. Was she missing one last soul? Or maybe it was the reiki. But then why would she be casting the ritual without that last vital piece of the puzzle? Miroku shrugged it off, choosing to focus on the task at hand. He could worry about it later. 

On the other end of Kagome’s barrier, Sango sliced her wakizashi down as she spun, severing a scaled limb and causing the demon to howl in pain and rage. The howls silenced at a fast upward strike to the throat, the metal of her sword flashing in the moonlight. Blood dripped down her blade and coated hands already stained red. She flicked it off and stepped back, turning in time to catch her Hiraikotsu. She was covered in demon blood and guts, and adrenaline was singing through her veins.

The tide of demons had slowed to a trickle but that didn’t mean it had stopped. 

Throwing Hiraikotsu again, Sango brutally cut down the two demons coming at her, monstrosities of bulging eyes, protruding abdomens, and leathery wings. Their screams were carried away on the night air as the weapon ripped them in half. Their corpses fell to the ground as she caught Hiraikotsu, adding to the pile around her feet. Just beyond Kagome’s barrier she could see the horde that awaited them the moment the priestess dropped it.

 _Bring it on_ , she thought in grim determination. A bunch of low-level demons would not be what brought her down; she was a demon slayer after all. 

As she adjusted her grip on Hiraikotsu, her eyes peered through the darkness to check on her companions, and when her gaze settled on Miroku she froze. He was focused, one hand extended towards the portal, which was shrinking, and his other gripped his shakujo tight. The blue haze that she assumed to be a shield made from his reiki was fading and demons were beginning to break through, forcing him to stop and fight them even as he worked on destroying the portal. 

Miroku was strong but he was one man, and the demons seemed to have singled him out, as isolated from the group as he was. To them, he was easy prey. And lurking behind him was a demon with large pincers aiming to take his head clean off.

The next moments were a blur of adrenaline, taking place in a matter of seconds.

She ran at Inuyasha, settling Hiraikotsu across her back, and yelling out for the half demon. He turned to her, a bewildered look on his face. It would have been comical if the situation weren’t so serious.

“Inuyasha!! Throw me!!”

“Wha--”

“Just do it, dammit!” 

Sango reached his side and leapt at him. With Inuyasha’s help, she could reach Miroku. 

Throwing aside the corpse of the demon he had just beheaded, Inuyasha thrust his sword into the ground and barely caught her in time. In the second it took her to jump, he had put two and two together and grunted his understanding. Using the momentum of her leap, he spun her around then tossed her, his demonic strength sending her flying. She soared, flipping midair, and called out the monk’s name. 

The portal Miroku was working to purify and destroy had just winked out of existence. He turned her way right as he registered the demonic presence lurking behind him, already in the process of raising his shakujo to take care of the threat. Sango hit the ground running, knocking Miroku down just in time to meet the strike of the demon’s pincers with her wakizashi. Sparks flew as metal met demon bone. The force of her blow pushed the demon backwards as she fell forwards while Miroku landed flat on his back. Her knees absorbed her fall and she ended up straddled over him. 

Before Miroku could absorb this new development the demon regained its bearings and rushed them again, intending to finish what it started. Sango leaned forward, slashing out with her wakizashi and taking the demon down at the knees, her blade cutting through cartilage and sinew, then rose up on her own knees to stick her sword through its throat as it came crashing down. Blood sprayed, misting over her face as the demon sank further onto her blade, gurgling its death cries.

It was a strangely beautiful sight, and Miroku knew in that moment just how far gone he was on Sango. She looked incredible and sexy in anything to him-- including the blood of her enemies.

Sango grimaced, pushing the carcass of the demon off her blade and to the side, then looked down at him in concern.

“It appears you saved me,” Miroku said from beneath her.

“It appears I did. I told you once, I will always save you, too,” Sango replied.

“Yes, I remember, and I’m grateful for it.”

“Are you okay?”

“Never better,” Miroku said, unable to contain a smirk at the rather intimate position they found themselves in. “Reminds me of when we first met. Us fighting together, you on top of me. Too bad we’re fighting for our lives, because I’m really enjoying this.”

Sango shook her head, rolling off of him and rising to her feet. She reached a hand down and he grasped it as he regained his own footing.

“Figures even in a situation like this you would find a way to say something perverse.”

Just as the words left her mouth a demon crawled out from a tombstone behind her and bolted their way, lightning quick. Miroku saw it coming, all his amusement from her words vanishing as the gravity of battle set in again.

“Watch out!” 

It was Miroku’s turn to pull her out of harm’s way. He reached out to grab her arm, spinning her around and away from the demon’s attack and placing his body in front of hers protectively. He met the serpentine creature with a thrust of his shakujo. It hissed its displeasure and attempted to wind its long body around his staff, extending its head, mouth open and fangs dripping with venom. Channeling his reiki through the holy weapon, Miroku set it alight with a burst of his power. Giving a scream, it disintegrated before it could touch him, a chill breeze blowing away the remnants.

“Thank you,” Sango said, her heart beating faster from both the close call and the way he had protected her.

“I’ll always save you, too,” Miroku replied softly.

His words warmed her heart more than she could ever hope to possibly convey. And even if she could find the words, there was no time for that right now, anyways. Sentimentality could wait. Sango looked from him to where the portal once lay. 

“It looks like you were successful in closing it.”

“Yes, it was tricky but I figured it out.”

“I knew you would.”

Miroku smiled at Sango’s faith in his abilities before glancing Tsubaki's way again. The dark priestess was fully absorbed in whatever she was doing for her ritual and paid them no mind. As he had suspected, the portal’s destruction was a minor setback for her, likely only meant to occupy and distract them from interfering with her preparations.

With the portal gone the influx of demons had ground to a halt, but there were still hundreds that had made it out before Miroku closed the gate, the cemetery literally crawling with them. Beyond Kagome’s barrier they waited and watched with hungry eyes, some of them mindlessly clawing at the shield of pure reiki, hissing at the pain but not stopping.

Kagome could feel each attempt to break through and it made her skin crawl. The entire time she had been holding the barrier in place, Inuyasha had been defending her, tearing any demon daring to come too close to pieces. Animalistic snarls rumbled out from past his lips, a warning and promise of violence to anything stupid enough to attack his mate. Kagome took comfort in his ferocity, knowing he would do everything in his power to keep her safe. Still, she stood with an arrow notched on her bow, her stance ready and alert, fully prepared should anything make it past the half demon. 

Now with the portal gone, Kagome expanded her barrier and the pink glow widened, inching over the ground, swallowing up any demon unlucky enough to be caught in its path, until it met the place where Tsubaki’s own shield began. With a concentrated effort, Kagome _pushed_ against it, making a dent in the grayish-green barrier before she was repelled. She stumbled back a step from her forceful ejection but didn’t relent in her assault. 

The dark priestess jolted at the intrusion, looking up with angry and hateful eyes, meeting Kagome’s steady and determined gaze. With a baring of her teeth, Tsubaki paused in whatever she had been doing and pushed back, _hard_ , muttering a dark spell under her breath. In the next instant Kagome’s barrier flickered as whatever magic Tsubaki worked started to consume and bring it down.

“Stupid interfering bitch,” Tsubaki said balefully, her hand twisting and fingers curling as the black magic swirled around her.

“Get ready, it’s coming down,” Kagome managed between gritted teeth. No sooner had the words passed her lips than her barrier vanished, the pink boundary separating them from all the evil demons suddenly gone.

With nothing left to divide them, all the evil demons surged forward, a tide of monstrous bodies rushing at once. Their prey was within reach again and they howled and shrieked their pleasure.

Kagome pulled back on the string of her bow, taking a split second to aim before releasing it. The sacred arrow shot out, lighting up the darkness with its pink glow and cutting down the first wave with a flash of reiki as it flew into their midst. No sooner had their bodies turned to dust than a second wave charged, and this time Sango stepped up, whirling around and throwing Hiraikotsu with the mechanical ease battle instilled within her. Bodies ripped in half, screams were harshly aborted, yet their attacks barely made a dent. All the demons that had amassed, lying in wait for Kagome's barrier to drop, were taking full advantage of this opening. In the next second, the demons were upon them and they were fighting against the press of bodies.

They were overwhelmed.

“Inuyasha, use it!” Miroku called out.

Inuyasha finished the downward slash of his sword, severing the head from the demon he was facing, before pausing. Blood flecked his cheek and he looked at the monk in disbelief.

“Are ya fuckin’ serious?”

“Yes!” Miroku yelled back. “These are special circumstances, and if _any_ situation called for it, it would be now!”

“Use what?” Sango asked as she threw her weapon again, ducking under the swipe of another demon’s claws. It had been waiting for her to release the boomerang from her grasp before attacking, foolishly thinking her easier prey without her weapon. When she rose again she had her wrist blades out, dragging them across the throat and belly of the demon in quick strikes, then spun to kick its carcass away just in time to catch Hiraikotsu again.

“That sword he uses all the time is special, but too powerful to use in our modern era without drawing serious mortal attention. But we don’t have the luxury of quibbling over things like that right now,” Miroku answered as he continued to fight beside her.

“Fine. Everyone get the fuck back!” Inuyasha snarled, waiting as Kagome ran to stand somewhere behind him. She shot bursts of reiki from her hands at the demons attacking as she moved, before throwing up a shield around herself.

Inuyasha drew his sword back and gathered his youki around it, the air becoming electric as the wind currents condensed around him.

“Wind Scar!!” He cried, unleashing his attack. 

The energies swirled around the blade and as he flung it forward again all the amassed power shot out in a yellow wave of destruction that forked into four glowing lines. They spread out from the point of origin, cutting deep fissures into the earth and tearing through the horde of demons, utterly decimating them. Every single one, disintegrated by the power of his blade, ashes scattering into the night air.

“Wow,” Sango said, looking at the destruction he had just wrought. In the process of destroying all the demons his attack had wreaked havoc on the cemetery, splitting headstones in half and crumbling the paved stones into bits of gravel.

“I had no idea you could do that,” Kagome whispered, eyes wide and more than a little impressed.

“It’s not exactly somethin’ I’m supposed to use anymore,” Inuyasha replied, settling his sword back over his shoulder, gold eyes scanning their surroundings, ready for the next threat, whatever that was.

An eerie sort of silence settled over the cemetery, the only sound their harsh breathing. A soft murmur of a spell being cast reached their ears and they all looked towards Tsubaki. She was looking their way, too, and smiling. Not exactly the reaction one would expect from a woman who had just had all her demonic minions slaughtered, leaving just her against the four of them.

“I bet you all think you’ve succeeded. But don’t get too cocky,” she said, smirking.

“Why? Do you have more minions lurking around to fight for you? Or are you actually going to fight us yourself, for once?” Sango responded.

“Not likely. She likes to hide behind others, letting them do her dirty work for her,” Miroku said with disdain.

“Before you worry about me, maybe you should worry about your friends,” Tsubaki said cryptically.

“What is that supposed to mean?” Kagome demanded.

“You’ll see, soon. But let’s just say your allies might not be doing so hot right now.”

Tsubaki’s words hung heavy in the air and Sango’s heart stuttered a bit inside her chest, consumed with a sudden and gripping concern for her family. For a second it was the only thing she could think of, her anxiety mounting. They were putting their lives on the line right now, just like she was, and if they were in trouble she was too far away to help them. Her loved ones were her one weakness, the only thing that could make her waver. A hand found its way into hers, a thumb brushing against the back of her wrist in a small yet intimate gesture, but it had the intended effect. She breathed deeply and gave Miroku a grateful look.

“For all I know, you’re lying,” Sango said, turning her attention back to Tsubaki and glaring. “You’re just trying to break our concentration, rattle us, but it won’t work. You’re a snake and you’ll say anything if it means saving your skin.”

“She’s right,” Kagome added. “You have no proof. We’re about to end you and you’re desperate and making up lies to distract us.”

“Are you sure about that?”

Just as they were beginning to feel a slight sense of victory over turning the tide against her, the air around them went static. In the distance, on the eastern side of the sky behind where Tsubaki stood, a column of green light shot up, radiating a sickly glow. An answering glow pulsed in the bowl sitting to the side of her makeshift altar and Tsubaki’s smile widened.

“I’m sorry, what was that you were saying about no proof?” she practically gloated.

“That’s… that’s not--” Kagome sounded horrified, her voice a choked whisper

“Oh, but it is,” Tsubaki confirmed, her eyes gleeful and full of contempt. “One of the runes has just been activated. Which means your allies have failed. I wonder which ones were at that location?” She laughed as if she had just told a very clever joke.

“You bitch,” Sango spat, her grip tightening on her wakizashi, trying to contain the urge to throw the weapon at her and into her neck. It would be repelled before it could reach Tsubaki's treacherous throat but damn if it wouldn't make her feel better. 

“Now now. Do you kiss your mother with that mouth? Oh, that’s right. She’s dead.” Tsubaki laughed some more while Sango gritted her teeth. The dark priestess was trying to provoke her but she wouldn’t let her get under her skin.

“Keh. So one got activated. Big deal. You still need the other three,” Inuyasha scoffed.

“That’s true,” Tsubaki acknowledged with a slight shrug, “but I have no doubt the others will follow soon after, and give me everything I need.”

“You seem awfully confident,” Miroku observed.

“Of course I am. I've been planning this longer than any of you have been alive... except for the _dog._ I have lived for a long time and it has taught me patience,” Tsubaki answered. “I've had plenty of time to prepare, and even your presence here at this cemetery was factored into the equation.”

“You left us enough breadcrumbs for us to figure out your grand scheme, so the fact you expected us all to be here isn’t exactly a surprise,” Kagome returned.

“Just because you knew I was expecting you doesn’t mean you can stop what’s about to happen.”

Another column of green light lit up the night sky and Tsubaki grinned savagely, red lips stretched wide over teeth. Sango’s heart constricted as ice ran through her veins, fearing the worst. Her eyes widened, and for a moment it was hard to breathe. Just what exactly did this mean for her family and everyone else at those locations? 

_Just because the rune was activated doesn’t mean everyone is dead. It just means they failed in stopping it._ Sango tried to believe it. She _had_ to.

That reminder did nothing to reassure her or thaw the ice that had taken up residence in her body. A quick glance around at her companions revealed the same shock she felt inside echoed in their own expressions. 

The tide had turned, and this time for the worst. 

They were losing.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry the uploads have slowed down a bit, just juggling a few things and real life and trying to reach for inspiration. But we're almost there!! Another 3 or 4 chapters left, depending on how the story plays out as I write it. 
> 
> Thanks as always go to lavendertwilight89 for being my beta and to hnnwnchstr for encouraging me. You guys rock.
> 
> And to everyone still reading, I thank you too. The last few chapters have been a bit of struggle to write and I have to admit if it wasn't for the people who have commented and left kudos and read this that my motivation may have failed. The last couple months I have been in a bit of an emotional funk and I feel like it's been affecting my creativity. But I'm pushing through it, as much for myself as for everyone reading this story. So, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for sticking with me this long. I hope I don't disappoint!

Staring at the sky, Sango’s heart felt like a lead weight inside her chest at the sight of the two columns of green light disappearing into the clouds. As she and everyone else looked on, a thin sheen of green light separated itself from the glow of each, slowly spreading out until the space between the two were connected. Two of the locations had fallen and two runes had been activated. One fourth of the circle encompassing all of Tokyo had just been formed.

Which meant half of their allies had just failed.

And they had no way of knowing if they were dead or alive.

“What’s wrong? Not feeling so confident, all of a sudden?” Tsubaki mocked. Her eyes were jade chips glittering with malice, cold and beautiful.

Even Inuyasha looked in shock, his scowl vanishing from his face as a look of disbelief replaced it. He quickly tried to cover his reaction with more bluster, but his false bravado wasn’t fooling anyone.

“You still need the other two,” he managed. “The other two won’t fall. My brother is a dick but he ain’t weak, and he ain’t gonna let some weak punkass shits defeat him or lay waste to his territory.”

“We’ll see about that,” Tsubaki shrugged. “For all you know, your brother’s location is one of the ones that fell. He could be bleeding his life out onto the cold pavement as we speak.”

“J-just because they fell doesn’t mean they're dead!” Kagome’s voice was fierce. Like Sango, it was something she  _ had _ to believe. If she thought for a second otherwise then she would lose heart, and she couldn’t afford to do that. The clock was inching towards midnight, and every minute they delayed was a minute closer to Tsubaki winning. And if Tsubaki won this fight then all hope was lost. Kagome had to keep faith. 

Miroku saw how deeply affected Sango was at the thought and fear of her family being injured, or worse,  _ dead, _ but there was nothing he could say. No way to reassure her. Any words of his would be empty promises. Sango would recognize them for the lip service they were, and he wouldn’t waste his time or breath on something so pointless. Besides, all their focus had to remain fixed on the task before them. 

Battle was full of uncertainty, something Sango was keenly aware of. But knowing this didn’t make it any easier. Her loved ones were everything to her. All Miroku could do was take her hand in his and offer her his presence, let her know that he was with her and that she wasn’t alone. It was a reminder that they were in this fight together.

Sango gave his hand a soft but grateful squeeze. The knot in her chest loosened but didn’t totally disappear. Nothing short of seeing everyone again, safe and whole, would do that. But her family wouldn’t want her distracted by worry for them, not in such a pivotal battle. She took a steadying breath and allowed herself to let all the anxiety go.

On Tsubaki’s altar a bowl glowed with twin green lights in a replica of the sky above them. No doubt it housed the core of the spell meant to interlink the runes after they were activated, before sucking Tokyo and all its inhabitants dry. Destroying it might mean destroying the spell, or at the very least, weaken it. Getting to it was easier said than done, however, considering Tsubaki’s impenetrable barrier.

That wouldn’t stop them from trying.

Shifting her feet apart into a stance, Kagome strung another arrow onto her bow and took aim. There weren’t any more demons left for Tsubaki to use as a meat shield. The only thing left to stop Kagome’s sacred arrow would be the dark priestess herself, and she felt confident her powers were strong enough to purify the malignant evil of Tsubaki’s barrier. Without a word, she let it fly.

Glaring and spitting a curse, Tsubaki sliced the air with a slash of her hand. Kagome’s arrow disintegrated before it ever reached the barrier, turning to black ash. 

“Dammit,” Kagome scowled, feeling frustration grow. How could they defeat her if they couldn’t even  _ touch _ her? 

“Inuyasha, you know you can break her barrier,” Miroku said, keeping his hand in Sango’s for a second longer before pulling away. 

“Keh, you really are askin’ for me to get in trouble,” Inuyasha replied, giving a fanged grin. 

“Please, I know you’re dying to use your sword’s full power.”

“You ain’t wrong.”

Inuyasha swung his sword out in front of him and it seemed to pulse for a second before a red haze overtook the blade, until it was fully crimson.

“It’s… red?” Kagome sounded equally baffled and hopeful.

“I hate to ruin your moment of camaraderie, but it’s about time for this to come to an end,” Tsubaki said, not sounding the least bit sorry.

“Hurry!” Sango called out to Inuyasha. She had no idea what he was about to do, but whatever it was, he needed to do it fast.

“Too late,” Tsubaki smirked.

A spell flew from her lips, finishing on a shout with a sweeping gesture of her hands. Retrieving a vial from a pocket, she uncapped it and poured the powdered contents into her hand. Another sibilant chant of words caused the wind to stir around the dark priestess. Holding her hand in front of her, she blew at it and the wind picked up, tossing the grains into the air, where they mingled with the power of her spell and dissolved.

It had the noxious, oily feeling of black magic. Inuyasha immediately covered his sensitive nose with an arm, and reached for Kagome, cupping the back of her head and burying her face in his chest to protect her from whatever this was. She gave a startled yelp but submitted to his actions. It didn’t matter, though. The spell acted fast. The world started to swim and tilt before his eyes.

“Shit!”

Whatever that powder and spell was meant to do, it wasn’t anything good. Sango reached for her slayer mask, but rather than putting it on herself she grabbed for Miroku and hastily placed it over his face. He looked down at her in surprise as she fastened it and his eyes told her how much he disagreed with her decision to place his safety before her own. She hadn't even given him a chance to react before it was done. He gave a slight shake of his head and she just stubbornly held it in place, meeting his gaze, refusing to let him take it off. When her knees buckled slightly, she grasped at him with her other hand, breathing heavily. 

“Whatever you’re about to see, I hope it makes you suffer,” Tsubaki said scornfully, but her voice sounded far away now. Everything was so far away.

There was a white fog beginning to coat the ground of the cemetery. It rose up, swirling around their ankles, slowly creeping around the grave markers. In seconds, the mist blanketed everything in sight, making it impossible to see farther than a few feet in front of her face. 

Blinking, Sango tried to orient herself and case her surroundings. Her brown eyes scanned the area, her vision a little fuzzy. It was hard to tell if that was because of all the mist or if the sudden onset of vertigo she had experienced was the cause. With a start, she realized she was standing alone. Everyone was gone. Looking at her hands, she saw they were grasping at nothing. She couldn’t remember letting go of Miroku, but she must have. People didn’t just disappear. Right?

A noise behind her caused her to turn and she gasped. Walking towards her, stumbling a little, was Kohaku. The mist billowed out from around him as he slowly moved forward, his steps halting. His kusarigama hung from his limp hands.

“Kohaku! What are you doing here?” Sango called out to him but the air was thick and swallowed her words up. She tried again, attempting to run towards him, but it was like her feet were stuck in place.

“Kohaku??”

This time her voice carried across the distance and her brother raised his head to meet her gaze. His eyes were dull and her heart clenched inside her chest.

“Sister.”

His voice sounded as lifeless as the look in his eyes. He was standing only a couple feet from her now, but her eyes refused to focus to truly take him in. They kept blurring in and out and she blinked, trying to gain her bearings. 

“Kohaku, what happened? Why are you here? How did you get here?”

Something about this didn’t make sense but Sango couldn't seem to put her finger on it. Her mind wouldn’t work properly. The more she looked at him the more solid he seemed to become and she noticed for the first time the blood leaking from a corner of his mouth. 

“We failed. Sister...help me. Why didn’t you help me?”

“Wh-what?” 

The accusation pierced her heart like a knife. “You told me to go! You said it would be fine!” 

“How could you leave me? You knew the danger.”

“I had to! We were spread so thin...we had to leave…to fight…” Her voice faltered as she struggled to remember why she had had to leave him. Who had she been fighting? What had been so important? What could have possibly been more important than her brother?

“Sister, it hurts…” Kohaku shuffled a few more steps forward, and Sango reached out for him. He collapsed in front of her, and as she looked down at him in horror, she saw the wound on his back. It was strange how it seemed to be in the same place where she bore her own scar. Blood soaked his slayer suit and fear clawed at her. How injured was he? She couldn’t lose him!

“Sango, how could you have allowed this to happen? You were supposed to protect him,” a soft feminine voice spoke. 

Sango turned, words dying on her lips at the sight of her mother standing there. More mist swirled around her, obscuring her features but the look of sadness and condemnation in her eyes was clear. All the breath in Sango’s lungs disappeared and shock overcame her. What was happening? This...this couldn’t be possible.

“Mother?” she whispered.

“Sango, my dear daughter. Why are you fighting this so hard? Your family needs you.”

“You can’t be here,” Sango managed, looking back and forth from her fallen brother to the figure of her mother. Confusion and anxiety mounted as she felt frozen in place. “Y-you’re dead!”

“That’s not a very nice thing to say, dear.”

Her mother approached, and as she came closer her features seemed to slide away and reveal the rot of the graveyard beneath. Sango recoiled, her stomach twisting.

“Why are you turning away from your own mother? I’m so disappointed in you.”

This wasn’t right. None of this made any sense. Sango tried to remember what she had been doing, why she had been fighting. As she backed away, a hand wrapped around one of her ankles, holding her in place.

“Are you leaving me, sister?” Kohaku’s voice was hollow. He raised his face and his eyes were full of reproach. Sango’s insides twisted up into knots and tears pricked at her eyes. She needed to escape this, but she didn’t know how. Her hands curled into fists, fingernails cutting into her palms hard enough to draw blood. The pain seemed to clear her mind. Memories began to return.

Tsubaki. The dark priestess. A spell and some kind of powder flung into their faces. This must be an illusion. A very strong one, that fed on their belief in the images they were seeing. Because Sango was sure Tsubaki was constructing illusions for her friends just as deceptive as the ones she was being subjected to. Sango’s refusal to believe her mother was really there had seemed to diminish its power, but not enough for it to disappear.

Her mother sneered at her, half of her face seeming to melt until the bones showed through. It was nauseating and revolting.

“You’re not real…” Sango whispered, voice choking on a sob. “You can’t be real! None of this is! Let me go!”

Sango squeezed her eyes shut, shaking her head violently. These weren’t like normal illusions, where knowledge of the truth made them impotent. It was something far more sinister and she wasn’t sure how to break the spell. 

~☆~

One moment Kagome’s face was being pressed up against Inuyasha’s chest, red filling her vision. In the next, she blinked and her heart jolted; she was alone. Inuyasha was gone and so was everyone else. Mist flowed out from all around her and cloaked her field of vision. Disorientation took hold for several long moments as her breathing quickened in slight panic.

She had been fighting with everyone and then...this happened. Except Kagome didn’t know what  _ this _ was. What was going on? It was suddenly hard for her mind to focus on anything. Thoughts kept slipping away like the tendrils of mist wisping through the gaps of her fingers. It was thick and wrapped around her, coiling like a snake as white enveloped everything.

_ A snake _ .

The response within her at that thought was swift and immediate. It started in her gut and overtook her entire being as she began trembling in fear. Why did that phrase seem to instill such a visceral reaction? And why had she and her friends been here at this cemetery? Why did she have her weapons? Something important teased the edges of her mind but it eluded her. What was she forgetting?

A twig snapped to her right and she spun, her hand clenching around her bow. A figure emerged through the white fog, and as it came into view her heart stopped as her eyes widened. This...this was not possible. 

“Papa?” She uttered the word, half hopeful, half fearful. 

“Kagome,” he said, smiling as he approached, the lines around his eyes crinkling. His features seemed to slide off his face for a second and Kagome blinked. Everything was fuzzy but the more she looked on, the more he seemed to come into focus. “My dear girl. How I’ve missed you.”

“You...you’re...but how?” Words failed Kagome, the shock overwhelming her. He looked so  _ real. _ But he couldn’t be. Could he? He had died when she was young, but the memories she had of him were cherished dearly. His death had broken her heart. She remembered her mama’s tears, the funeral,  _ everything _ .

“Everything will be fine if you come with me. Don’t you miss your papa, too?” He extended a hand and Kagome stared at it, frozen in place. This wasn’t right. She shook her head, her throat tight. He frowned, displeased by her reaction.

“I--I can’t. I’m sorry,” she whispered, tears forming in her eyes. “You’re dead, but I’m not. I can’t leave behind everything to follow you.”

“Forget your friends. We always had a special bond, didn’t we? Don’t you want to be with me again? It will be over quick, I promise,” he continued to persuade.

He was asking her to die? No. None of this was making any sense. None of this was  _ right. _ None of this could be  _ real. _

“I can’t do that! And my real papa would  _ never _ ask me to do such a thing,” she managed. 

This couldn’t possibly be him, but as much as she convinced herself of that fact, his words still hurt. It looked exactly like him, sounded just like him. Something deep inside her felt bruised at that.

Her papa’s eyes hardened, his mouth becoming a thin line. “You never used to be so disrespectful. You were always such a good girl. This must be that half breed’s influence.”

“What?” 

That didn’t sound like her papa. He would have  _ never _ called Inuyasha a half breed; he would have accepted him with open arms. Kagome had gotten her spiritual power from her papa and he had taught her tolerance, love, and acceptance for both humans and demons alike. Just like her mama. The words from this apparition jarred her perception and he seemed to flicker before her eyes. 

“The papa I remember would never say such words!”

Kagome’s reiki stirred, and his form flickered once in response. Her head began to ache as she tried to recall what she was missing. The image of a snake came to mind again, and this time she clung to it desperately, focusing on it with all her might. And then she remembered, everything flowing back into her mind and clicking into place.

Tsubaki, that fucking  _ snake _ .

This was merely an illusion. As much as Kagome had hoped otherwise, another part of her had known the truth all along. And somehow that made her  _ furious. _ How dare Tsubaki continue to try and toy with their hearts--their minds? Hadn’t she done enough already? That  _ bitch. _

Kagome’s temper rose along with her power, and the air practically hummed from the force of it. Almost unbidden, it began to circle her, driving back the white mist while encompassing everything around her. If this was an illusion she would simply break it. It was a bit more complicated than normal glamour, aided in part by the powerful black magic Tsubaki liked to use so much.

_ I’m powerful, too, _ Kagome thought fiercely. Extending her free hand, reiki rippled out from her and tore through the illusion of her papa. The illusion’s eyes went wide for a split second before it disappeared, sputtering out of existence.

The moment the illusion disappeared, clarity finally returned to Kagome’s mind. The world seemed to shift, and for a second she saw the illusory setting superimposed over the real world before everything solidified and she was back in the cemetery again.

She was still pressed up against Inuyasha’s chest. Inuyasha, who was clinging to her for dear life, gripping the back of her head tightly, almost painfully so. His claws bit at her scalp, pulling at her hair, and she bit back a wince as she attempted to disentangle herself from him and take stock of the situation.

White fog still covered everything, but her friends were all by her side again. They looked frozen in place, although Miroku was beginning to stir. The mist crept around Kagome but didn’t touch her, the purity of her reiki driving it away and protecting her from its evil influence. Tsubaki was no longer paying attention to them anymore, satisfied that her dark spell had taken care of matters, leaving her free to finish the preparations for her ritual.

A glance at the sky revealed that the last two locations of the runes were holding strong; there were still only two lighting up the sky. That, at least, was enough to give her some hope.

Looking up at Inuyasha, Kagome’s breath caught in her throat. His golden eyes were hazed over with a dull film, a faraway look to them. He was seeing something that wasn’t there, something that wasn’t  _ real. _

She had to help him.

~☆~

Everything blurred and Inuyasha shook his head, trying to clear it. The fog was thick, clouding his mind as well as his vision. His ears twitched, straining for any hint of a sound. It seemed to be the only sense of his that wasn’t totally fucked at the moment. His nose seemed clogged with the cloying scent of...something. Something he couldn't place. What the fuck??

The more he tried to figure it out, the more it escaped him, and he noticed for the first time that his hands were clutching at nothing. Inuyasha stared at them, realization sinking in. He had been holding onto something important.  _ Someone _ important. Yet he couldn’t for the life of him remember what the fuck it was. His instincts were screaming at him that everything was  _ wrong. _

“Inuyasha, my darling,” a soft, feminine voice said. 

The sound rooted him to the spot. Inuyasha hadn’t heard that voice for over five hundred years. Unable to hide his shock, he turned towards the sound. His mother smiled at him, her face kind and sweet.

“Mother,” he breathed. 

She was dead. She’d been murdered for the crime of loving a demon and giving birth to a half breed like him. Leaving him on his own for  _ years _ , having to fend for himself and making it near impossible for him to trust  _ anyone _ , let alone another human. He’d gotten better over the years; glamour helped the humans accept him, and so did his family’s agreement with...with who? 

Someone had softened his heart, made him love and trust in ways he’d never been able to before.  _ Someone _ had.

Who was it? What the  _ fuck _ was he missing? And how the hell was his mom here? It should be impossible. Inuyasha sniffed the air, but again something pungent and acrid clogged his sense of smell. He couldn’t get a good read on her scent. Couldn't know for sure if it was really  _ her. _ And damn, he wanted it to be. She had been the only person to truly love and accept him as he was. 

Except someone else had, too.  _ Who the fuck was he trying to remember? _ A snarl of frustration escaped him.

A soft cry gained Inuyasha’s attention, and his focus returned to his mother. There was a look of wide-eyed despair on her face. A chain wrapped itself around her throat, dragging her back into the wall of mist, and she reached out a hand for him. Desperation colored her voice, wrenching at his soul.

“Please! My son, don’t let them take me away from you again!” She pleaded and Inuyasha’s heart twisted. Unseen figures seemed to move in the mist behind her, but he couldn’t make them out. Everything went fuzzy when he tried to focus on anything but her.

“Mother? Is it really you?” he whispered, unable to believe it. This couldn’t be real. Inuyasha couldn’t remember why, yet he knew deep down it was...off. But some part of him still wanted it to be true. 

He tried to run towards her, but it felt like he was moving in slow motion. As he attempted to reach her, the image of her form seemed to change for a split second, her face morphing into a blank and featureless slate, before the world righted itself again. Inuyasha paused, shaking his head. What the fuck was that? And then in the next second he forgot what he was trying to make sense of. He didn’t understand what was going on, but if his mother needed his help, then he had to save her. Right?

He grasped her outstretched arm and at the contact he felt a tremor run up his spine as pain jolted through him. Looking down, his mom’s eyes pleaded with him, but something felt off. Nothing was right about any of this. His mother was fucking  _ dead. _

Wasn’t she? 

She was the most important person in his life--  _ had been _ the most important. Someone else was, now, but  _ why  _ couldn’t he  _ fucking remember?? _ His instincts were humming below the surface, his youki starting to swirl around him in a cloud. 

“Inuyasha, my sweet boy…please, come with me. Don’t let me be alone again...” his mother’s soft voice enveloped him as she reached her other arm up and around him. He could do nothing but cling back. He felt like he was sinking, falling deeper into something, but what, he didn’t know. The demon inside him began to snarl, displeased, and his youki spiked as it shot out. 

Somehow that helped to clear his mind, if only for a second. For that brief moment, he heard someone calling his name, someone that wasn’t his mother. How was that possible? He was alone here with his mother. But the voice called for him again, and he growled louder, shaking his head violently. 

_ Kagome. _

The name slid across his mind like a caress and his eyes widened as everything shifted. Looking down again at the figure of his mother, he now saw her for what she truly was. An illusion, a deception, cast by that fucking bitch Tsubaki. The mist carried the taint of her black magic, helping to dull his senses and his mind, making him easy to manipulate. Another growl rumbled out past his lips.

“Inuyasha!!”

That voice again. Kagome was calling for him. She needed him.

“What are you doing? Are you going to abandon me?” his mother demanded, her voice distorting like a bad signal.

“You ain’t my mother,” Inuyasha gasped out, trying to break her hold. But this thing, whatever it was _ , _ was fucking strong. Or maybe that was part of the illusion too. He didn’t fucking know anymore. All he knew was that Kagome was calling for him, and his youki was rising up in response to her. Her voice was breaking through where nothing else had.

Kagome was his mate.  _ She _ was the most important person in his life, not this illusion of his mother. The more he tried to struggle and break free, the more his demonic energy surged. He brimmed with it, carefully allowing it to rise, and everything around him flickered as it was met with the sheer force of his power. 

Looking down, the faceless thing posing as his mom stared up at him, her image flickering to Kagome, then back again.  _ That’s right. _ He was holding onto  _ Kagome.  _ This other thing wasn’t fucking real.

And then the illusion of his mother shattered, repelled by the force of his youki and Kagome’s reiki. Her calls for him, the way his soul instantly recognized her as his, the bond between them, it was all stronger than Tsubaki’s spell.

“Kagome,” he said softly, and the concern in her eyes melted into relief.

“You’re back,” she said.

“You helped. I heard your voice calling for me.”

Despite the situation, Kagome smiled softly for a brief second. Nothing would come between their bond, not even Tsubaki.

~☆~

Miroku watched as the fog around him thickened and Tsubaki turned her attention away from them again, her figure obscured by the wall of mist. So were his companions. He was barely able to make out the outlines of Inuyasha and Kagome, who both seemed to be staring at something only they could see. Meanwhile, Sango’s fingers clutched at his shirt and he watched as the spell began to take hold of her, as well. Her chocolate brown eyes clouded over and her face went slack. Miroku wrapped his arms around her, holding her to him; it was the only thing he could do for her at the moment. Until he figured this out.

The cold metal against his face had been a shock. Sango’s slayer mask. She’d put it on him in a desperate attempt to protect him. And as mad as he wanted to be at her about that, Miroku couldn’t fault her for it. In her position, he would have done the exact same thing.

Looking up, he saw something take shape as it came forward. Miroku sucked in a breath when he realized what it was supposed to be. His father, long since dead at Miroku’s own unwitting hands. With shambling steps, he emerged from the mist, clutching at a wet, dark spot over his heart with ghostly hands. His father’s form was spectral, more translucent than opaque, and seemed to shift at random intervals.

“Miroku, my son,” the thing said. It had the same voice as his father. Despite everything, it pulled at something inside Miroku’s chest. His death had been years ago, but while it was an old ache it wasn’t a forgotten one. Just like Ayaka and her mirrors, it was bringing ugly feelings and memories back to the surface.

“You’re not real,” Miroku said, his voice holding more conviction than what he truly felt.

“What a terrible thing to say to your father. The father you murdered with your own hands,” the apparition accused.

"I was possessed!”

“You must atone. Look what you did to me.”

“It wasn’t really me!”

“Save your excuses. Why do you get to live your life and find happiness while I rot in my grave? If only you had just  _ listened _ to me I wouldn’t be like this.”

The specter of his father removed his hands from the wound in his chest, the very same one Miroku had inflicted as a child while possessed by an evil spirit. Blood poured from the gaping hole, and the sight was disturbing. It shifted his thoughts towards something darker, making old guilt rise to the surface. The more Miroku looked on, the more solid his father’s figure seemed to become, and he shook his head. No, he wouldn’t allow his thoughts to be clouded.

Sango had sacrificed herself by giving him her mask, to protect him, and he would not repay that kindness by falling victim to Tsubaki’s dark magics. This had to be an illusion; there was no other explanation. His father had not come from the grave to demand retribution. Miroku wouldn’t be taken in by this trick.

It felt strange on his face but Sango’s slayer mask was shielding him from the worst of the spell. Miroku could taste her on the metal, and with each inhale he breathed in her scent. He tried to hold onto that and use it to center his mind when all it wanted to do was spiral wildly out of control. This wasn’t real, but Sango was. And she needed him, just like he needed her.  _ That _ was real. 

“Miroku!! How could you do this to your father?” the illusion continued to moan, voice hollow, still shuffling forward with halting steps. 

Knowing this was an illusion didn’t shatter the spell, nor did it make it feel any less convincing. Miroku’s refusal to believe in it wasn’t enough to dispel it; it needed something more. Focusing his reiki, Miroku carefully let his power wash over him and the action helped to return clarity to his mind. 

This illusion was weak compared to what the others had to be seeing, and he would banish it. Taking hold of his power and channeling it into a thin barrier around himself, Miroku extended the hand gripping his shakujo towards the spectre of his father while he continued to hold onto Sango with his free arm. Eyes narrowed in concentration, he allowed some of that accumulated reiki to heighten the power of the holy weapon in his hands. When the illusion was within striking distance, Miroku swung his shakujo out and through the thing posing as his father. It howled as the force of his reiki ripped through it before it burned out of existence. 

Miroku breathed heavily, more affected than he would have liked at the sight of his dead father, fake as it had been. He turned his attention to Sango, who was beginning to stir, her lips moving soundlessly and fingers clenching. She swayed in his arms and Miroku slowly allowed his reiki to flow through her. After a few long moments, a soft gasp escaped her lips and she blinked, her eyes no longer dull but bright as they refocused and looked up into his face.

Almost immediately her face transformed into something deadly, murder written in her expression.

“That fucking  _ bitch.” _

"I couldn't agree more," he said, beyond relieved that he’d been able to bring her back.

"You saved me again, didn't you?" Her eyes softened slightly as she used the hand that had gripped at him to stroke his face.

"Always," he said, “and you can have this back now.” Miroku removed the mask and handed it back to her. 

Sango didn’t miss what was going unsaid--that she had put him before herself and he wasn’t entirely pleased by that. But she would do it again in a heartbeat. And somehow she knew that he would do the same for her, so it was only fair, wasn’t it?

With help from his reiki, Miroku pushed back the unnatural fog, revealing Inuyasha and Kagome. They both appeared to be coming out of the spell, as well. Inuyasha was shaking his head as if to rid himself of what he had just seen before he locked his gaze down upon Kagome’s form that was entangled in his haori.

This was the second time they had all been forced to see something dark and twisted. Something meant to put them at odds with themselves and make them fall into despair. First Ayaka, then this. It was obvious where Ayaka had gotten her own tricks from. And all four of them were now filled with a fresh wave of renewed determination to bring Tsubaki down.

A glance towards the altar showed that Tsubaki was still unaware her spell had been broken. The dark priestess was chanting something and the mirrors were beginning to light up from within. They pulsed and their surfaces rippled as whatever was inside them rose to the surface, ready to be released. Only they wouldn’t be freed, but crushed and distorted into something nightmarish. Into a being that should never see the light of day ever again: Naraku.

“I can't believe this bitch,” Kagome hissed, pulling out of Inuyasha’s arms, stringing an arrow onto her bow without any preamble and letting it fly. 

It hit Tsubaki’s barrier in a flash of almost neon pink, startling the dark priestess from her reverie. She looked up in shock that quickly turned to anger. The spiritual power Kagome had imbued the arrow with washed over the surface until it was totally covered in her pink reiki, eating through the darkness. In seconds, the barrier was gone and purified. Kagome already had another arrow notched and was aiming it right for Tsubaki’s heart.

“Your little spell didn’t work,” Kagome called out, her expression thunderous.

“I can see that,” Tsubaki replied, her voice tight. “It seems you all are just full of surprises.”

“It looks like you still need the other two runes to be activated, too,” Miroku added. “You’re missing quite a bit of what you need for your spell.”

“Maybe so, but I have plenty more to draw from stored away. Not as many as I need, but enough to get started. And I can always use others. Including you, young monk, and you in particular, you little  _ bitch _ .” Tsubaki pointed a finger at Kagome. “Why do you think I left you a riddle easy enough to figure out? I might be confident but I’m not stupid. I needed you here. One last soul filled with reiki. I need your power. And I  _ will _ have it!”

“How? You’ve done a terrible job fighting us so far,” Sango returned, stepping away from Miroku to draw her wakizashi. Nobody was going to do anything to her friends unless it was over her dead body.

Before anyone could respond, another column of green lit up the night sky, signaling the activation of the third rune location. Dread at what it could possibly mean trickled through all of them. Tsubaki laughed, and it was an ugly, mocking sound.

“That don’t mean anything,” Inuyasha spat. “Just means you distracted whoever was at that site long enough to power it up. Also, you sure as fuck aren’t gonna get anything from Kagome. I’ll rip ya to pieces before you could.”

“Bold words for a dog,” Tsubaki said. “And maybe. But their activation is all I need. The death of your allies would merely be a bonus. At any rate, enough talking. It’s almost time.”

Tsubaki took something from inside her ceremonial robes and her lips chanted another spell. Kagome fired her arrow, trying to cut her off, but Tsubaki was faster, dodging just as she finished her incantation. From behind the dark priestess a white light flared up, and two things happened at once.

The ground trembled and all around them the earth began to split over every grave in the cemetery, crumbling and giving way to the corpses and skeletons now crawling their way out. Low moans filled the night air as they shambled their way to where the four of them stood. Fragments of souls long since gone had been summoned up to animate her creations. The dead slowly marched towards them, compelled by Tsubaki’s magic. Their purpose was clear-- to maim and kill.

While that was happening, Tsubaki brought to life two shikigami. Unlike the last time when their purpose had been to transfer a deadly curse, these were given a different but no less important mission-- drain the soul and reiki from their targets. The two spiritualists in their midst: Kagome, and if that failed, Miroku.

Horror shadowed Kagome’s face as the dead approached. It was like a nightmare, or a scary movie brought to life. All of them were in varying stages of decomposition, some nothing but bones and others partially decayed, the flesh clinging to the bones for dear life while maggots wormed their way out, and others freshly buried, still untouched by rot. 

Kagome fired an arrow and it shot through the army of the dead, piercing through rotting flesh. Some of the dead stopped, her power having purified the spell controlling them, but others kept on moving forward. Soon the press of rotting bodies reached the four of them.

Sango sheathed her wakizashi in favor of using Hiraikotsu, but even as it cut through the dead, it didn’t stop them. The blunt weapon shattered bones, split flesh, but still they felt no pain. It didn’t kill them; they were already dead. All it did was slow them down. She gritted her teeth in renewed frustration. 

Inuyasha swung his sword, slicing corpses in half and sending bones flying; but they continued to gnash their jaws and reach out with bony fingers. Nothing would stop them. Dismemberment was a mere hindrance. Torsos separated from their legs were still crawling towards them like mindless zombies.

“Aren’t you tired of playing with people? Haven’t you had enough?” Kagome bit out, lowering her bow. The things this woman had done to her, to Inuyasha, to her friends...that she had made them do to  _ each other. _ Tsubaki had no regard for anyone but herself. Here was Kagome’s chance to make her pay, and by God she would. “How dare you desecrate the graves of these people? They were loved, they were at peace, and you _ violated that.” _

“And? What are you going to do about it?” Tsubaki gloated.

In answer, Kagome dropped her bow and let her reiki surge. The immense power she contained came effortlessly at her call and her aura flared up. She let it consume her, her rage at everything lighting a fire inside her and lending her strength. The dead pressed in all around and she felt the hand of one grab at her arm, could smell the rot as sharp bones dug into her skin. 

“Kagome!” Inuyasha called out to her. He struggled to get to her but he was surrounded by the dead. His sword and claws were all but useless against them. An unattached hand skittered up his hakama and he kicked out in disgust, trying to dislodge it.

Kagome wanted to reassure him, but she couldn’t. She had to remain focused. And then her power spilled out, lighting her up until she was positively incandescent. She spun and raised her arms, letting her reiki swirl and condense around her in a solid mass awaiting her command. With clenched fists, Kagome dropped to a knee and slammed the ground, releasing her power with a single purpose in mind.  _ Purify them all. _

Her reiki billowed out from her in a shockwave of power, rushing out and over the grounds of the cemetery and vanquishing the dead in one fell swoop. The air crackled with the force of her power as the dead all dropped, like puppets whose strings had just been cut. They were freed from Tsubaki’s spell and at peace once more.

While the four of them had been busy fighting off the army of dead, Tsubaki had wasted no time. All the mirrors with the youki, reiki, and souls were lit up as she chanted furiously. The outline of a figure began to form on the top of the altar. It was a male, nude and laying on his back. The image kept flickering in and out of existence, resembling a hologram. Tsubaki’s voice raised as everything began to spill from the mirrors now.

And then the shikigami made themselves known.

While she was distracted by the purification of the dead, Kagome didn’t notice the winged snake-like apparition with a large suction cup for jaws approaching her. With a snarl, Inuyasha snagged it by the tail, his claws digging into it and rending flesh. It squealed in dismay and pain, twisting in his grip, still trying to reach Kagome. She had just regained her feet and stumbled backwards away from it, eyes wide in surprise. Reaching out a hand, she shot out a spurt of reiki.

It gave a delighted cry, her power seeming to feed it rather than destroy it. Realization set in. It was meant to suck up all her reiki, and fighting it with her power would only hasten things. Inuyasha grabbed the head of it with his other hand and ripped it apart. And then he stomped on the ashes of its ruined body, just for good measure.

“It didn’t touch you, did it?” he demanded. “You okay?”

“No, I’m fine.” Kagome shook her head and picked up her bow. It was time to finish this fight. “Miroku, take care of the mirrors. I’m taking on Tsubaki,” she said, stalking towards the altar where the dark priestess stood.

Glancing up at them and letting out a curse, Tsubaki paused in her ritual. The air around them went electric as she muttered another spell, combining ingredients on her altar and drawing symbols with a piece of chalk. Demons emerged from the rune she had etched, spilling into existence. There were only a few, but that was all she’d need.

“I’m going to take you down,” Kagome promised, her voice laced with threat. She released another sacred arrow.

“God, you’re so fucking annoying!” Tsubaki spat venomously. Pausing in her ritual, she avoided the arrow, forced to step away from her altar to do so. The dark priestess raised her hands and  _ pushed _ with her power. Kagome was ready for her, though, and pushed back with her own.

No more spells, or minions, or tricks. It was down to raw power now. Tsubaki had it in spades, the taint of black magic coloring her aura and boosting her power. But Kaede’s words from weeks ago came back to Kagome:  _ “While my powers are quite dulled, I would say too that your own powers and the strength of your soul are in the same league as those of Kikyo’s.” _

Tsubaki had immense power, but so did she.

Kikyo had brought down Naraku. And Kagome was going to bring down Tsubaki.

While Kagome faced down Tsubaki with Inuyasha’s support, Miroku accepted the task of destroying the mirrors. Once they were shattered, all the comatose spiritualists that were being held in limbo would have their souls and reiki returned to them and they would awaken. And so would all the demons who had fallen victim to Tsubaki’s machinations.

Miroku made it to the altar and began the process of trying to destroy the bespelled mirrors. It was no easy feat. Every time he sent his power over one of them, it slid away, as if repelled. He was going to have to figure out a way to get around that.

Only he didn’t have long to ponder how, because the demons Tsubaki had summoned with her last little spell were attacking now. 

“Miroku!” Sango called out, throwing her Hiraikotsu. 

Miroku ducked as the weapon sailed over his head and into the chest of the demon directly in front of him. But Sango's attack only seemed to anger it, and maybe bruise it a little. The demon snarled, grabbing at the boomerang and throwing it back. Sango caught her weapon as Miroku thrust his shakujo out, lighting it up with his power. The blue lightning of his reiki crackled and seemed to give the demon pause.

“I’ll handle these. Please, focus on the mirrors,” Sango called out, and rushed forward to meet the three demons head on.

Although he was worried, although he wanted to be fighting with her, Miroku knew he had his own task to complete. In the meantime, Sango would watch his back. The mirrors continued to resist the touch of his reiki. Frowning, he withdrew the last of his sutras, murmuring an incantation to strengthen them. 

The mirrors glowed bright from whatever Tsubaki had been about to do with them, and he squinted his eyes against the glare. Throwing the sutras, Miroku waited for them to adhere to the surface of each mirror before wrapping a rope of his reiki around all of them, using the sutras as a conduit and anchor. If he couldn’t directly touch them with his power, well, there were ways around that.

A small crack in one the mirrors caused a thrill of victory to run through Miroku. It was working. Pouring more of himself into it, his reiki pulsed then tightened over the mirrors, intending to both purify and then shatter the glass. This would probably be easier if he had as much power as Kagome did, but he would work with what he had. And that was no small amount, either.

Another crack formed, spiderwebbing across the surface of the glass.

Then another.

Kagome let out a cry as she fought against Tsubaki, their power pushing against each other in waves of pure reiki. The wall where they met was bursting with static and sparking, pure energy becoming visible to the naked eye. Kagome’s heels dug in as she was moved back a single step, and doubts started to sprout in her mind, threatening to take over. Could she really do this? Was she powerful enough?

Then a warm presence at her back helped to strengthen her resolve. Arms came up around her and hands rested on her waist. Inuyasha was supporting her, and he wouldn’t let her be pushed back any further. He wouldn’t let her fall. 

“You got this,” he whispered into her ear fiercely.

And Kagome believed him. Self doubt fell away until only resolve and confidence remained.

Her reiki surged as she released the tight leash on her power, letting it go wild. Letting it consume her. A gasp escaped her as fire lit up her insides, feeling almost like she was going to combust. There was a fire inside her, racing through her veins, and she was setting it free. With fresh determination, Kagome narrowed her eyes and released the build up, focusing everything she had at Tsubaki. It poured from her in pink and white light, so blinding she almost had to look away. 

But she didn’t. Tsubaki’s eyes widened in shock as the full force of Kagome’s unleashed power hit her. It burned through the malignant darkness of her own, eating away at the evil in a wave of purification that was sheer fire. When it reached the dark priestess, she gave a shriek as the light of it engulfed her. 

Sango gave a spinning kick and, with one more downward slash of her wakizashi, the last demon’s throat was slit. Its red scaly body fell over, finally dead, and she breathed hard. Mission accomplished, she resheathed her sword. These last demons Tsubaki has summoned were a bit stronger than the usual small fry. But she was a demon slayer, and she had to protect Miroku while his attention was directed elsewhere. He was giving his all, trying to destroy the mirrors.

Her eyes scanned the cemetery, taking stock of the current situation. She caught sight of Kagome facing off with Tsubaki. The two were going toe-to-toe, but Kagome was starting to slip. Then Inuyasha came up behind her, offering her his support. He whispered something in her ear, and she seemed to rally at that, because in the next moment she was lit up with so much power that Sango’s chest went tight in concern for her friend. How could Kagome contain such massive spiritual energy without it burning her to a cinder? Then Kagome unleashed it all at Tsubaki.

Sango turned, catching sight of Miroku. Her eyes went wide, her heart pounding a wild rhythm in her chest. No, no,  _ no. _

They had forgotten about the second shikigami. Moving like liquid, it was swiftly flying its way towards Miroku, who remained oblivious. He wasn’t going to notice it in time; it was too fast, and he was too distracted by what he was doing.

Sango ran towards him, desperate to reach him before it was too late. Tsubaki looked like she was going under, but her ritual was so close to being finished. She needed one last piece of reiki to complete it. Sango wouldn't let that happen.

She couldn’t let that be Miroku.

And then everything that happened next seemed to occur almost in slow motion and yet far too quickly, all at the same time. It only took a few seconds and yet the moment felt stretched.

Tsubaki screamed as the fire of Kagome’s power burned through her. Kagome pulled her bow and released another arrow, this time directly into the dark priestess’s heart.

Miroku destroyed the mirrors. With a final push of his power, the mirrors all shattered to pieces, and their light lit up the night sky as all the souls, reiki, and youki were freed from their glass prison.

At the exact same moment, Sango finally reached Miroku’s side. She pushed him out of the way just as the soul-sucking shikigami reached where she now stood in his place, its jaws wide and glowing. 

The shikigami latched onto her and she was powerless to stop it from stealing her soul.

“Sango! Why?” Miroku’s voice drifted to her but she was already mostly gone.

She had done it for a few reasons. Miroku's reiki would have been the last one Tsubaki’s ritual required, and she couldn’t let a demon like Naraku walk the earth again. She had no reiki, so taking her was fine. But truthfully, it had been pure instinct. She just couldn’t allow anything to happen to Miroku. She loved him too much. If he died it would crush her and she didn’t know if she would ever be able to function again after such a blow. 

“Sango!!!” The cry tore out of Miroku, and it would have wrenched at Sango’s heart if she could think anymore.

The mirrors were destroyed, leaving her soul nowhere to go but the one place all souls went. The underworld.

_ Better mine than his, _ she thought as the light faded. Sango knew he was going to be so mad at her. But she wouldn’t be around to face his fury, would she?

And then she knew nothing at all.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always thanks to my beta and friend lavendertwilight89, as well all my other friends who encourage me. It's been a while but life has gotten busy, and I had other projects on my plate and suddenly a month had gone by. I'm sorry, but I hope this chapter was worth the wait for those of you still reading. Enjoy! Please leave a comment telling me what you thought-- I love to hear feedback~

It took Miroku a moment to realize what had happened. In a matter of seconds, everything had changed. Sango pushed him out of the way and he’d whirled around just in time to see her soul be consumed. To watch her body collapse to the ground. Almost reflexively, Miroku whipped his reiki out at the shikigami, breaking it apart into dust. But it was already too late. The damage was done.

This couldn’t be happening. This couldn’t be real. But as Miroku cast his shakujo aside and dropped to his knees beside Sango’s still form, the rational part of his mind knew it to be true. He gathered her into his arms, as if somehow by holding her close the life would return to her eyes and she would look up and smile at him. 

But she didn’t.

And when it finally sank in, he felt like the ground had fallen out from beneath him. Like someone had punched him in the gut, making it hard to breathe. Everything suddenly felt so far away, as if he was stuck in a haze and the world around him was gray and lifeless. The loss of Sango ate through him like acid, hollowing him out.

“Sango,” he managed, her name a plea. He knew she couldn't hear him, not anymore. But he couldn't help himself.

Shock and anger and denial and a heart-rending despair all vied for dominance within him as he knelt on the ground, still holding her unresponsive body. His normal composure had gone out the window, and in its place was a writhing mass of emotion that he didn't even know how to  _ begin _ to untangle. Or deal with. He cried out wordlessly, clutching her to him. 

If the mirrors hadn’t been destroyed when she'd been taken, then Sango’s soul would have been rerouted to the looking glass only to be freed upon its destruction. But the timing had been off, and the only place remaining for her soul to go now was the one place souls never returned from: the Underworld. 

Tsubaki was defeated and her evil plan thwarted, but there would be no celebration. The cost had been too high. And Miroku refused to pay the toll.

Sango had sacrificed herself for him. Again. Dammit, hadn't he told her to place more value on her life when in battle? Hadn't he told her that she was  _ irreplaceable  _ to him? If the practical side of him wanted to cooperate, he’d probably be able to see why she’d done it. But he was in no mood to face logic, not when it felt like his heart had just been ripped from him. A quick perusal with his reiki confirmed what he already knew-- her soul was gone. Everything that made her  _ Sango _ didn’t exist in this world anymore and there was no logic in that at all.

Something he found in his examination gave Miroku pause, though. Sango’s soul hadn’t been taken in a normal or natural way. It was faint, but there was still a slight tether between her body and the place her soul had gone. That tenuous thread was enough to break through the crushing weight that seemed to be bearing down on his body, and Miroku heaved a breath. It was a distant hope but it was all he had.

As it stood now, Sango was hovering on the precipice between life and death. By all appearances, she was in a coma. Miroku knew better. Her body was alive in all the ways that scientifically mattered, but the essence that was  _ her _ was missing. Her heart still beat in her chest, and her skin was still warm, but every minute that passed was a minute that she slipped closer to true death. Based on his knowledge, if her soul wasn’t returned to her body within the next twenty-four hours, then she would be lost forever.

And Miroku had every intention of bringing it back.

Because there was  _ one _ way. It was dangerous. There were no recorded examples of success. It was a ritual that was practically legend, almost, but not quite, forbidden due to the nature of it. But that wasn’t about to stop him, not for a second. Maybe it was doomed to fail, maybe it would kill him. It didn’t matter.

Footsteps and gasps brought him back to reality and he looked up, his expression bleak but his eyes determined. Kagome dropped to her knees beside him and laid her bow down. 

“Miroku!! What… oh my God, what happened? What’s wrong? Is Sango okay?! Sango!!” 

The questions poured out of the priestess and Miroku wasn’t sure which one to answer first. Inuyasha stood behind her, looking grim; he knew whatever it was, it couldn’t be good. In short sentences, Miroku filled them in, his voice sounding strangely hollow to his own ears. With each heavy word he spoke, Kagome’s eyes grew wider, tears welling up. Inuyasha glanced away, his ears flattened against his skull. Whether in response to Kagome’s obvious distress or because of his own concern over the slayer, Miroku wasn’t sure. Maybe both. Honestly, he didn’t much care at the moment. 

Only Sango mattered. Saving her was all he cared about, all he could think about. Everything else was deemed unimportant in comparison. While he explained the situation, his determination gradually hardened into a steely resolve.

“It’s faint, but there’s still a slight connection between her body and her soul. She didn’t die an actual death,” he finished.

“What does that mean?” Kagome asked. Her tears had spilled over, streaking through the smudges of dirt and blood on her cheeks. In her eyes, despair mixed with a tentative hope. 

“It means I’m going to bring her back...but I need your help. It won’t be easy.”

“Anything!”

“Now, wait just a minute,” Inuyasha cut in. He clearly looked uncomfortable, but pushed on. “Don’t go promisin’ anything before ya hear what he has to say. I wanna save Sango, too, but...” _ I ain’t about to lose you, too, _ was left unspoken. 

“It doesn’t matter what it is! But  _ fine, _ ” Kagome conceded, her lips thinning before turning her attention back to the monk. “How...how do we fix this, Miroku?”

Miroku was silent for a moment, contemplating how to word it. But all his skill with words had deserted him. He opted for the direct approach; as a priestess, Kagome would likely know exactly what he was referring to. The ritual he was going to attempt was taught as a warning to pretty much every spiritualist, the overall message being: the Underworld was not their domain and they should not try to make it so.

He looked down at the lifeless woman in his arms, his heart squeezing painfully. Sango’s eyes stared sightlessly, and Miroku gently closed them. It might not be his place to interfere in matters of the Underworld, but Sango still had a connection to their world, too. 

He would not lose her. He would bring her back or die trying.

“Sango probably has at most twenty-four hours before the connection between her body and soul gives out. Before that happens, I intend to send my own soul to the Underworld to find her and bring her back.” He paused, raising his eyes to meet Kagome’s again. “Please, Kagome. I need you to be my anchor for the ritual.”

Kagome gasped. For several long seconds, she said nothing as the magnitude of what he was suggesting hung in the air. “Miroku...if you’re talking about the ritual I’m thinking of, that’s extremely dangerous! I’ve never heard of anyone attempting it, let alone successfully!”

“It’s our only option. Do you know of another way?”

“But--but--something could happen to you! What if you’re lost, too? It’s strongly discouraged for a reason! It’s almost akin to raising the dead!”

"But it’s not! Sango isn’t dead. Not yet,” Miroku returned, his voice hardening. “Do you know of any other alternatives? Because I don’t. You’re her best friend; don’t you want to save her?”

“Of course I do!!” Kagome yelled. “But I care about you, too! And I...I’ve never done anything like this. What if I mess it up?”

“You won’t,” he said simply. “You’re extremely capable and strong. I know you can do this. Please.”

“What the hell are you guys talkin’ about? Kagome, what is he asking of ya?” Inuyasha demanded, ears flicking. 

“Exactly what he said. I’ll have to use my power to act as a bridge between his body and his soul and hold it open. If I fail--”

“You won’t,” Miroku repeated. “Kagome, you’re incredible, and you can do this. Right, Inuyasha?”

“Wha--? I mean, yeah, Kagome is one of the strongest people I know.” Inuyasha admitted. Damn the monk and his manipulations. Making him say such things. 

Kagome wiped at her eyes, nodding. “O-okay...Inuyasha, we...oh God, wait. We...we can’t just leave all this behind… all the bodies, and the demons, and--” She cut off, glancing up at the sky. The three columns of sickly green light had disappeared, leaving only the barest trace of an afterimage behind. It rapidly faded until the sky was once again an expanse of black. The conflict was truly over. Still, they had no way of knowing how those on the other end had fared.

“Part of me is worried about them, too, Kagome. But there’s no time. We can call someone on the way,” Miroku said. He tried to keep his voice gentle, despite his impatience. It wasn’t Kagome’s fault. So much had happened, and they hadn’t been given a chance to process it. There were too many emotions and not enough time to sort through them or give them all their proper due. 

“Where we goin’?” Inuyasha asked.

“I think the slayer residence is the closest. We should go there,” Miroku answered. He had no idea if it would help at all, but somehow the thought of Sango being in a place familiar to her, a place she was loved, a place she had an attachment to… It felt right to perform the ritual there.

“Right. Let’s go.”

Kagome grabbed her bow and his shakujo as they both stood. She stumbled for a second after regaining her feet, feeling dizzy. The world spun before it righted itself, and she blinked, trying to get her bearings. Inuyasha was there immediately, wrapping an arm around her waist. She leaned into him, for comfort and support, taking a deep breath. Miroku was right. She would do this. She  _ had _ to do this. If she didn’t, then Sango would die for real. If she could help save her best friend, well, she was going to do everything in her power to make that happen. Even if her power seemed to be running a little on empty at the moment. 

“Hey! Easy, there,” Inuyasha said, his concern for her evident. “You practically drained yourself of power. You need to rest before trying anything else.”

“It’ll be fine.”

“It’s not fuckin’ fine! You’re swaying on your damn feet. You put everything into that fight and takin’ Tsubaki down. You don’t have any power to spare!” Inuyasha argued.

“And I said I'll be fine! I...I have to do this,” Kagome said. “There’s no time for me to rest!”

“Then make time, dammit!”

“Miroku is drained too, but he’s not stopping!”

“I don’t give a fuck! Kagome--”

“Sango is my best friend! I’ve known her for half my life!! I will not sit on my ass when there’s something I could be doing to help! How can you expect that of me?!” 

“Inuyasha, Kagome is right. There really is no time to--” Miroku started.

“Shut the fuck up! I’m not letting Kagome run herself into the ground for you!” Inuyasha snarled, turning on him. 

Anger coalesced into a tight knot in Miroku’s chest and he glared, his indigo eyes flashing. The fragile calm he had been barely maintaining shattered. “No,  _ you _ shut the fuck up. Every minute we spend arguing is a minute that Sango inches closer to true death.  _ Sango. _ The woman I love! The woman I’m fucking crazy about! How can you, someone who is supposed to be my closest friend, be so callous about her fate?!”

“It ain’t about--”

“I’m not done,” Miroku snapped, stepping closer, his voice furious. “I don’t ask this lightly, nor would I be asking this if we had any other choice! But we  _ don’t! _ How would you feel if you were in my position? If Kagome had been lost to you, and I refused to help you because _ I was too tired. _ Do you understand how pathetic that sounds?! You would be doing anything possible to undo it, wouldn’t you? You would tear the world apart if you had to! How can you look down on me for doing the same thing you would do if the woman you loved was at death’s door?!”

They stared at each other for a minute, Miroku breathing heavily but not backing down. It was a rare sight to see Miroku lose his cool, and it had taken Inuyasha aback a little. He looked at his longtime friend, and he could smell the pain that Miroku was doing so well to hide beneath the anger and resolve. Fuck, he hated this. As much as he didn’t want to admit it, Miroku made a good point. If Kagome was the one in danger, he’d be  _ demanding _ they do anything and everything to save her. Even if that meant putting themselves into danger, too. 

He sighed. “Fuck. You’re right. I’m sorry. But I won’t let anything happen to Kagome. She’s  _ my  _ first priority.”

Miroku relaxed slightly, leaning back. “I’d expect nothing less. Now, let’s get out of here. We have a ritual to prepare for.”

The drive was quiet and tense. The only thing to break the silence was Kagome placing a call to the slayer’s residence. Doing her best to hold back her own emotions, she quickly relayed everything as well as the general outline of their plan. She didn’t go too into detail, though; they didn’t need to know the particulars. Or that it had a high chance of failure. Best to give them something to hold onto, and deal with the aftermath in the event that it didn’t work.

It had to work.

Digging around the glove box, Kagome found an energy bar and ripped off the wrapper, taking a bite. She was exhausted, and her power was depleted. Slowly, her reiki was beginning to regenerate, but not at the rate she would have liked. Whatever she had by the time they arrived would have to be enough. There were a million things she wanted to think and feel, but she couldn’t spare a moment for a single one. Not yet. 

It was frustrating. She wanted to cry again, but she needed to conserve her energy. Later, she could allow herself to feel and think and process everything. Assuming they made it to later. Inuyasha was certainly determined there would be a  _ later _ for her, and in spite of everything it almost made her smile. Almost.

Miroku said nothing. His hands clenched the steering wheel tightly, knuckles going white. In his head, he reviewed everything that would need to be done. He probably should be going over it right now with Kagome, but he needed to organize his own thoughts first. There would be no room for any mistakes. Like Kagome, he had used quite a bit of his power in the fight. In an ideal situation, the both of them would be able to rest up and recover before undertaking such a daunting task. But nothing about this was ideal, and yet again they were racing against the clock. 

They arrived and exited the car, approaching the front door. Miroku held Sango’s limp form in his arms. Inuyasha stood next to him, wearing a grim expression. Kagome had barely raised her hand to knock before the door was yanked open, revealing a short older woman. Her wide eyes were set in a face gone white with fear, her shoulder-length black waves looking a little wild.

“Oh, God. Come in! Right this way,” she wrung her hands, leading them through the house and down a couple hallways. As they walked, a couple other tense faces glanced their way, and Miroku forced himself to breathe. Finally, she came to a stop in front of a closed room. After a slight hesitation, she opened it with a trembling hand. “I have about a million questions, but I know now isn’t the time for any of that. Please, whatever you need...just say the word.”

“Thank you, Auntie Suzume,” Kagome said with a wan smile. “We actually  _ will _ need a few things.”

“Anything. Name it.”

“Wax chalk, or regular chalk if you don't have it, three candles of the same size, and a lighter. Oh, and a small sharp knife.”

“I’ll be right back with all of that. Just...save her, please.”

“I will,” Miroku said, meeting her eyes and letting her see his conviction. She swallowed and gave a short nod before scurrying off to grab the items.

Entering the large room, it was obvious it was used as a spare bedroom, sparsely furnished and bland in its decor. A futon was laid out in the middle of the floor and Miroku carefully settled Sango down onto it. A few minutes later Suzume returned with everything. And then he and Kagome set to work. 

The ritual was simple in its complexity. Certain runes had to be drawn in a pattern around a circle meant to contain everything. The size wasn’t important as long as the placement of every curve and line was accurate, so the decision was made to draw it around the futon. Something of great importance to the soul being sought was required and had to be placed at the center of the circle. Miroku laid Sango’s wakizashi in the designated spot. Three candles, one for each participant in the ritual, were to be spaced at even intervals around the circle, and then lit. Then grave dirt (the most obscure ingredient) was to be sprinkled around each candle, acting as a link to the dead.

Miroku knew the layout by heart. After his father had died, he’d pored over the diagrams and instructions, committing them to memory. In the end, he had realized his foolishness and never attempted to perform it, but the knowledge remained.

Inuyasha watched as they prepared, gritting his teeth and saying nothing. It wasn’t like he didn’t care about Sango either, dammit. He liked her; he respected her as a fellow fighter. Her loyalty, especially to Kagome, was something he greatly admired. And she wasn’t just special to Kagome-- Miroku had said it himself. The monk was crazy about her. Truthfully, Inuyasha didn’t think he’d ever see the day Miroku settled on one woman and one woman only. He just wasn’t the type. He’d gone through pretty women like a kid went through candy.

Then Miroku met Sango and all that had changed.

Inuyasha resisted the urge to pace. He wanted to save her, too. Just not at the expense of his mate. But that was a losing argument, and he couldn’t disagree with Miroku’s logic. If it had been Kagome in Sango’s place… He shook his head. No point in thinking about what-ifs. There had been another thing--one what-if that no matter what he did, no matter how hard he tried not to think about it, the thought kept coming back and slamming into the forefront of his mind. He began cursing himself for his weakness, his insecurities, and the fact that  _ that _ was plaguing his thoughts at a fucking time like this! 

Crossing his arms over his chest, Inuyasha leaned against the wall and waited. Give him a monster to rip apart, a demon to cut with his sword, any kind of physical threat and he was a badass. But faced with this? He never felt so useless.

The minutes ticked by and finally they were finished with the preparations. However, there was one last necessary step before the ritual could begin. One of the most important components was still missing: the blood. Pricking their fingertips with the point of the knife, Miroku and Kagome let three drops of blood splash onto the flame of a different candle each. Then, gently taking Sango’s hand while Kagome held the third candle near, Miroku cut the tip of her finger, allowing her blood to drip down and feed the fire. 

She didn’t even flinch, and Miroku couldn’t stop the despair that iced through his veins.

As the blood made contact it sizzled. The flame in each candle darkened and grew in size, turning red with a black core. Placing them back in their respective spots around the circle, Kagome and Miroku then settled themselves onto the futon, sitting close and facing each other with Sango laying between them. Miroku shifted her so that her head lay in his lap, gently brushing the stray hairs from her face. Kagome reached her hands out, waiting patiently. After a moment, Miroku took them with his own. She met his eyes.

“Are you ready?”

“Yes. Let’s begin.”

“Good luck. I’ll...I’ll do my best.”

“Thanks,” Miroku said, flashing a quick smile and giving her hands a small squeeze. “I may need it. I don’t know how long this will take…”

“I’ll find a way to hold on, somehow. Take as long as you need. Just...bring her back. And if you can’t, promise me  _ you’ll  _ come back,” Kagome pleaded. As much as it broke her heart to consider the possibility of Sango never opening her eyes again, losing two friends would be even worse. 

“I can’t do that,” Miroku shook his head. “I’m not coming back until I have her. And that’s a promise.”

Kagome sighed. She’d had a feeling that would be his response. Even though she understood, she wasn’t happy about it. “Okay. Here goes.”

With those words, Kagome pushed at him with her power, latching onto him and becoming his anchor. She would be the unmovable rock he would tie the metaphorical rope of his soul to as he jumped into the unknown. Even as she rooted herself to the spot, she opened herself to become the bridge that would allow him to cross the great divide between worlds. 

Meanwhile, Miroku closed his eyes, focusing inward and directing his everything on that slight tether connecting Sango’s body to her soul. Faintly, he heard Kagome chanting the spell as he felt her reiki rise and brush against him. Waiting. 

Breathing deeply, he gradually reached a meditative state, emptying his mind of everything but that connection. It glinted in his spiritual sight, sparkling with traces of red, then gold, before almost disappearing again. Miroku held onto it tightly, letting it become his lifeline. His link. 

Just as he had given his everything to that connection, he trusted in Kagome to be the guardian of his own tether. He felt her grab on and dig in her metaphorical heels. It was time. And then he let go of himself, his soul leaving his body and following the tether attached to Sango all the way down.

~☆~

Everything was cold and the world around her was fuzzy and indistinct, full of shadows and shades of gray. It lacked color and vibrancy. Occasionally there was a flash of something bright out of the corner of her eyes, but it was always gone as quickly as it appeared. She didn’t know how long she had been walking or even where she was going. But something compelled her to keep moving. As if there was an invisible string pulling her along the path she traveled.

White flakes fell from a dark sky and she paused, looking up. They landed on her and she felt the barest feather-light touch. Some inkling of a memory told her they should be cold, and yet she felt nothing. Maybe it was ash, or maybe she just couldn’t feel anything at all. Not in the way she used to. 

_ How did I use to feel? _

She blinked, pondering that sudden insight. What had caused that thought? The answer to both questions eluded her.

Taking a moment, she glanced to either side of her. Why had she never thought to look at her surroundings before? It had never seemed important. Trees lined the path she stood upon, their naked branches reaching up in supplication to the sky.

_ How long have I been here? _

It felt like forever. Yet she couldn’t seem to remember anything beyond this moment.

_ Where am I? _

She didn’t know.

_ Who am I? _

She didn’t know that either.

Faces appeared in her mind, but the more she tried to focus on them the more they blurred into obscurity. They faded in and out, almost taunting her inability to remember, before disappearing again. Never allowing her a closer look. Something deep inside her ached with each resurgence, as if her very soul recalled what her mind could not, and it mourned the loss.

_ What am I missing? _

(And did it even matter?)

This new state of awareness was unwelcome and she desperately tried to cling to the comfortable numbness that had filled her not long before. Accepting everything and feeling nothing. Would the answers to her questions make any difference? Would they fill the void that now gaped within her? It was impossible to know.

She knew nothing, after all.

White covered the ground at her feet and she knelt, running her hands across the surface of the snow. She frowned. Throwing a glance over her shoulder, she saw the unbroken expanse of white stretching into the distance behind her, smooth and untouched. No footprints. Directing her gaze back to her hands buried in the snow, she lifted them in bemusement. Looking down, there was no trace of the disturbance she had made. It remained perfect and whole.

As if her very existence in this place was ephemeral and unremarkable.

That was when she noticed the red gauzy fabric of the dress she wore. The bell sleeves pooled around her wrists and conjured the vivid memory of freshly spilled blood. While the dress felt...wrong, the imagery it brought to life in her mind felt right and true. Where the memory came from, she couldn’t say. Only bits and pieces of who she was remained, hovering just beyond her grasp. Try as she might, she couldn’t reach them.

It would have been frustrating if she had any idea of what that part of her was longing for. But she didn’t and so she felt nothing. Gradually, a sense of calm filled her as she rose to her feet and began to walk forward once more. Blank detachment wrapped around her like a lover, holding her closer with each step she took. She welcomed it. This was preferable. 

_ Is it, though? _

Yes, she decided. Better to feel nothing than the weight of the unknown. There was one thing she could not ignore however; that thread, that invisible link, that continued to tug at her. Her destination was unclear but the pull remained, insistently beckoning her onward. It became her only purpose. Perhaps she would find her answers at the end of this long road.

More time passed, and yet the scenery never changed. She walked on, never tiring. What was it like to be tired? Another thing she couldn’t remember. Without her even noticing, the sky had blackened and the sense of something ominous grew until it pressed in around her. As if eyes were watching her. Yet there was nothing and no one but her in this dark emptiness. 

A sudden growl broke through the stillness, freezing her in place. It came again, closer this time, followed by a chorus of chilling howls. She whirled around, searching for the threat. There was nothing. Rather than feeling reassured, her sense of foreboding mounted. What was happening? She didn’t know much, but something told her that this was wrong.

And then hands were on her, grabbing and clawing and gripping her tight. They surged out of the darkness, a mass of disembodied limbs trying to drag her down. Covering her face, reaching at her arms, clutching her ankles...any part of her that they could hold onto. She struggled, trying to break free. 

“Delicioussss,” a voice hissed.

“Miiiine,” another rasped.

The world receded until everything was black. The ground fell away, becoming a pool of viscous shadows that stretched over her like a heavy veil. She was sinking, being pulled under by these monsters.

No! She couldn’t let them take her. She still had to follow the pull of that tether leading her forward and solve the mystery of what it all meant. It was important, although she couldn’t say why. But it was the only thing that made her feel a spark of warmth in this desolate place. Desperation filled her, and she opened her mouth to breathe deep and scream. And then came to the shocking realization that it was unnecessary because she didn’t need to breathe at all. 

Her lungs drew no breath. Her heart lay dormant in her chest. Her veins were empty, leaving her skin chilled and unaffected by the cold. But there was no time to contemplate any of that because soon, she wouldn’t be able to think at all. Not if these monsters succeeded in taking her.

Fight. She needed to fight.

No sooner had the thought entered her mind than a blade appeared in her right hand. It pulsed with a heat that made her yearn for...something. She didn’t know what. The invisible link still attached firmly to her chest leapt in response. And then her body took control, performing a brutal dance of death. The monsters screamed in outrage as her sword flashed and body parts flew until she had freed herself of their greedy, grasping fingers. When it was over, she stood there, looking over the carnage she had just wrought.

_ How did I do that? _

Somehow, the knowledge had just come to her, as if it was ingrained into her very being. It was both liberating and disconcerting. What other things might she know that she wasn’t yet aware of? How could she remember such skills and yet not even recall her own name? Nothing was making any sense. Still, she took comfort in the fact that at least she was able to defend herself from whatever this place tried to throw at her.

Her victory was short-lived, however. The void she had been falling into yawned wide at her feet, slowly consuming her yet again as the monsters reformed. The sound of tendons being knit together and the gnashing of teeth was disturbing and she couldn’t tear her eyes away from the leathery skin of lean limbs and yellow eyes glowing balefully at her.

“Bitch,” one spat.

“How dare you!” Another one howled.

She wondered if this was all her existence was meant to be. Wandering aimlessly and fighting uselessly. The monsters leapt at her and she braced herself, her blade raised into a defensive position even as she sank further into the deep emptiness. 

“Stop!” A powerful voice rang out.

A flash of blinding white accompanied the command and when it faded and she could see again, she was free and the monsters were cowering in fear. They groveled, shielding their faces and whimpering. She stared, looking from them to the newcomer in cautious curiosity.

A tall woman with a regal bearing stood there, dressed in a fine kimono of black silk with trailing sleeves. Intricate patterns of whirls interlocking with each other were stitched into the fabric in red thread that glittered, matching the crimson of her obi. The delicate features of her face created a beauty so incredible it was beyond description. Dark eyes shone, deep and full of immense age and countless secrets. Long black hair spilled like ink down her back, reaching all the way to her feet.

“The hunting of this one is forbidden,” she spoke. Her voice was soft and yet it cracked like a whip.

“B-but, Mistress--”

“My rules are clear. Do not think to break them again, or I shall break you.”

“Aaaah! Sorry! So sorry!” They all wailed, pressing their noses to the ground in full submission.

“You annoy me. Begone.” The woman flicked her hand and they all scurried off. “Now, then. What have we here?” The woman’s red lips curved into a smile.

She didn’t reply, because not even she knew the answer to that question. The woman sighed and waved her hand again, changing the scenery with that single gesture. The empty darkness disappeared and the snow-covered woods were back, the only new addition the red roses lining the pathway they now stood upon.

“This is better, hmm?”

“I don’t understand what’s happening,” she said. All her questions fought to rise to the surface even as the still nature of this place tried to weigh them back down. Burying them with a peace that stole every shred of self-awareness she possessed.

“I saved you. Say thank you.”

“Thank you,” she repeated obediently.

“It isn’t often that I find a stray in my lands. You don’t quite belong here, do you?” The woman asked, tapping a finger against her lips and stepping closer.

“I don’t really know where  _ here _ is. I...I don’t know a lot of things.”

“You don’t remember anything, do you?”

“No,” she whispered.

The woman reached out and stroked her cheek. “You poor thing. No...you don’t belong here. Not yet. I can see this thread still connects your soul to the land of the living.” Moving her hand to her chest, the woman pulled at the invisible tether, causing something to shake and shiver inside of her. She gasped.

“The living? What does that mean?” she asked. Slowly, the pieces began to come together, and she wasn’t sure she liked the image they were forming.

“Have you not noticed?” The woman released her, walking a few steps away. “This landscape, and even my appearance to a degree, are all shaped by how you perceive my domain.”

_ Her domain? _

“Who are you? And where  _ is _ this?” It felt like every word to pass her lips was another question but it was impossible to hold them back as the amount of things she didn’t know continued to grow.

With another wave of the woman’s hand, the scenery shimmered and changed yet again. It was almost dizzying. When the world had settled around them once more, they were in what looked like a throne room. Everything was dark and yet bright at the same time, the walls draped in black velvet. Dark wood covered the floors of the huge room that seemed to have no end. There were movements in the shadows, yet upon closer inspection she realized the shadows  _ were _ the movement. They separated themselves from the fringes and crept forward in deference, shapeless and haunting. The woman climbed the steps lined with skulls and sat upon the throne that overlooked the whole display, eyes seeking out where she still stood rooted to the spot. Authority and power emanated from the woman and she wondered how she could have possibly missed it before.

“Allow me to introduce myself. I am Izanami, Goddess of the Underworld. You are in the land of the dead.”

Her eyes went wide. “I’m...dead?”

Izanami seemed to consider her before answering. “Not in the true sense of the word. Each soul that enters my domain must pass through me first before moving on. Yours did not. Whatever severed the connection between your spirit and body must have been...most unusual.”

“Is that why I can’t remember anything?”

“Perhaps,” Izanami shrugged. “It is clear you left behind something important. Yet with each moment that passes the connection grows weaker. Soon, it will disappear entirely. And at that moment you will belong to my domain fully.”

“This connection...if I follow it, will it lead me out of this place?"

"I'm sorry, but no. Each soul like yours never reached the end before their time ran out."

"Maybe I will."

"Then you would be the first."

"So you won't help me find what I’m missing.”

“No. It does not serve me to help you. I rule the Underworld. It is my job to ensure that all who enter here never leave again.”

“But you said I don’t belong here.”

“For now. I refuse to meddle in the affairs of the living; the balance must be maintained. Although, I must admit you have piqued my curiosity. It has been a long time since such a mystery presented itself to me,” Izanami replied, cocking her head to the side and studying her with an almost predatory gaze.

“So...what will you do?” she asked when the unsettling silence had stretched between them for too long. 

“Nothing. If you find your way out I will not interfere. But I will not help you, either.”

"I'm free to go?"

"Yes." 

Izanami gestured and with that single motion the snowy landscape from before returned. Compared to the darkness the imps had tried to drag her off to and the eerie grandeur of the throne room, it was...comforting. Familiar. It was where she was meant to be in this place that filled her with uncertainty and questions.

Maybe she had more answers than she did before but she was still on her own. That was fine. Regardless, she would continue on this path until she found the one thing that she was searching for. She would keep going until her time ran out. Giving up was not an option. It simply wasn’t in her. Her memory may have vanished but that was the one thing this place would never take from her. 

“It may not be in my best interest, but I wish you luck on your venture,” Izanami said.

She stared at her in mild bemusement. “You...returned me to the place I was before. I thought you would have me keep searching from your castle, or whatever that was.”

Izanami chuckled. “As I said before, I will not interfere with your endeavor. However pointless I may find it.”

“It’s not pointless. Not to me.”

“You truly wish to keep on this path?” Izanami questioned.

“Yes. I might have no memory of who I was or what it is I'm searching for, but I know I have to keep following this link. Something inside me is yearning for whatever is at the source. And maybe you’re right-- maybe I'll fail. But I won’t stop until that happens,” she replied.

“You don't even know your name,” Izanami pointed out.

“You’re right,” she agreed, “but that's not going to stop me.”

Izanami appeared to deliberate over something, as if carefully weighing her words before she spoke again. “That wakizashi in your hands...take care not to lose it. You will need it if you truly wish to make it out of this place.”

She blinked then looked down at her right hand, which was still gripping the hilt of the blade tightly. With everything else, she had forgotten she was holding onto it. It sent a pulse of warmth through her as if responding to her acknowledgement. The link gave a slight tug, the two having a conversation she wasn’t able to understand. But it was clear they were connected in some way.

“Why are you helping?” she asked in genuine confusion. “You just told me I was on my own.”

“I'm bored and suddenly find myself interested in how this will all play out,” Izanami said with a shrug. “When you have lived as long as I have, there is not much that captures your interest anymore. And you...are not boring.”

“Whatever the reason, thank you,” she said sincerely, bowing her head gratefully. 

“Should you make it out, you have my blessing. And should you fail, you will be welcomed into my domain with open arms.”

She had no desire to become a permanent resident of this place, but would she even care when the time came? The Underworld had a way of reducing a soul down to mindless acceptance, removing all traces of cognitive thought. It was an effort to keep her thoughts in her head. Perhaps the only reason that she could was due to the tether still connecting her to the other realm. The living.

That and the blade still sending jolts of warmth through her.

Izanami gave an enigmatic smile and then with one last gesture of her hand, she was gone.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, the next chapter is up! Shout out to my beta lavendertwilight89 for reading through this and listening to me as I brainstormed.
> 
> To anyone still reading this story, thanks for being patient and I hope this chapter was worth the wait.

Inuyasha watched as Kagome and Miroku fell into the trance of the ritual to retrieve Sango’s soul as mixed feelings welled up inside of him. He wanted to save Sango, felt a sort of kinship with her in the way that only a fellow warrior could understand. He wanted Miroku, the one friend who had stuck by his side even at his worst moments, to be able to save the woman who seemed to get him in a way no one ever had before. He could smell the desperation both Kagome and Miroku were throwing off in waves, hoping against all odds this last ditch effort would work. But most of all, Inuyasha wanted to be able to _do_ something besides just stand over them like some watchdog. 

God, he felt so fucking useless. No matter how strong he was, this was beyond his power.

Letting himself be fine with what they were doing was a whole other matter. The baser part of him wanted to put a stop to this immediately and take care of his mate. Kagome was exhausted, running on fumes, covered in minor injuries that his demonic half was clamoring at him to fix immediately. All of these things added up to a situation he wasn’t comfortable pursuing until Kagome was _safe._ But no matter how ‘okay’ Kagome was, this ritual was a dangerous undertaking. She had made that clear, just as she had made it abundantly clear that she was doing this, regardless of his wishes. It wasn’t optional.

So Inuyasha had no choice really but to try and support her.

Most of all, he was cursing himself. His reluctance to officially solidify their mateship was now coming back to bite him in the ass. His fears that it would mess up her powers in some way had seemed like a reasonable concern at the time, but now all he could do was regret his hesitation. If they had mated already, if he had marked her and the bond between them had been established, then he would be able to share his energy with her. Help her. Instead of leaning against the wall, arms crossed, barely resisting the urge to pace the length of the room.

“Inuyasha, I feel your youki flaring. I know there’s a lot happening right now, but could you please try and tone it down a bit?”

Inuyasha rubbed a hand over his face, trying to get himself under control. He was a bit surprised at Kagome’s words. “Sorry, didn’t think you could sense that. Or talk, still.”

Kagome gave a small, strained laugh. “Miroku is the one who’s currently out of commission. My soul is still here; I’m just helping to connect and guide his for as long as he needs it.”

“Right. Makes sense.”

“What’s wrong? Besides the obvious, I mean.”

“The obvious is that I’m still not okay with you doin' this while you’re basically dead on your feet. I know I can’t control everything you do but fuck it, how am I s'posed to keep you safe if you run headfirst into shit like this?” Inuyasha answered, biting his tongue before the real reason spilled out. How this was partly his fault for holding back on mating with her for so long. 

“Inuyasha, sometimes I think you forget that I can be strong and capable, too. A little faith would be nice, you know,” Kagome replied, her tone clipped. Between his seeming doubt in her abilities and the amount of energy she was expending to keep the ritual going, not to mention the uncertainty of the fate of all their allies...she didn’t have it in her to hold her feelings back. She could barely hold herself together as it was.

“It’s not that I don’t think you’re capable,” Inuyasha argued. “I just...I don’t like this.”

“You don’t have to like it, but I could really use your support. So either help or stay out of the way,” Kagome said through gritted teeth, tightening her hold on Miroku’s hands without realizing it.

Inuyasha’s ears flattened against his head and he cursed himself again. Shit. He was doing a terrible job at this. Kagome was right. She had proved herself time and time again. She had shown that she was a force to be reckoned with and it wasn’t fair of him to try and keep her on the sidelines in some misguided notion of protecting her. Doing that wasn’t being supportive, it was stifling a vital part of her. That part of her was one of the reasons he had fallen for her in the first place. How could he expect her to change just to satisfy the side of him that needed to see her always safe?

He couldn't. He was being a selfish idiot when he needed to trust in her and be a good mate.

“What do you need?” 

Kagome blinked, surprised at his abrupt turn around. “Inuyasha?”

“Look. I’m tryin' to be here for you in whatever way you need, but you gotta understand something too. I ain’t used to havin’ someone so important to me. This is all still kinda new. I...I don’t always know how to handle it when ya wanna dive headfirst into somethin' that all my instincts are telling me ain’t good for you. There's a part of ya that's always gonna do whatever it takes to help people, even if it puts you in danger. But I think that’s part of the reason I fell for ya. And it ain’t fair of me to expect you to let that part of yourself go just to give me some peace of mind. 

“I want to be a good mate to you. I want to support you. I’m tryin’, I swear. I know you’re strong, but that don’t mean I’m not gonna try and keep you from harm if I can help it. There’s nothin’ I can do to help you in this and that’s my fault, too. If I had just mated with you already, I’d be able to feed you some of my energy through the mate bond. But I fucked that up, too.” 

The words poured out of Inuyasha as he let himself be honest with Kagome. He pushed off from the wall while he spoke and came to kneel beside her, looking into her eyes as she turned to face him. Letting her see how much he meant all of it. Finally saying what he had been holding back and bracing himself for her words of castigation.

“Inuyasha,” she whispered, her eyes softening after hearing his words, seeing the guilt that weighed so heavily on him and how hard he was actually trying to express himself. “Don’t blame yourself. We can’t dwell on what-ifs. I know you had my well-being in mind when you made that decision, and I’m not going to fault you for it.”

“But I had--”

Kagome touched her forehead to his briefly, cutting him off with that simple gesture. “I mean it. And I know this has to be hard for you, given your nature, but I need to know that you’ll stand by me with _my_ decisions, even if they’re a little dangerous sometimes. Like I do with you. That you’ll treat me as your partner, not a damsel in distress.”

Inuyasha breathed out harshly. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to make ya feel like you ain’t enough. I just can’t lose you.”

“And you won’t. I promise, I’m not going anywhere. Okay?”

Inuyasha nodded. Kagome turned away, facing Miroku’s unmoving form again, while the half demon got to his feet. He paused, his fists clenching. “I just can’t get what Miroku said outta my head. That if this had been you…”

“It’s not, though. And we’re going to _save_ Sango,” Kagome replied firmly.

Inuyasha sighed, wrestling with his demonic half and getting all his tumultuous emotions back under control with an effort. “Yeah. Yeah we are. So what do you need?”

Kagome was silent for a moment. “Everything happened so fast out there. Killing Tsubaki, Sango losing her soul, coming here, performing the ritual…there’s been no time to breathe or check in with the others. We saw those runes be activated. We don’t know the status of our allies. Sango’s family doesn’t know what’s happened to her, aside from the ones who stayed behind here. We need to check in with everyone, but there’s been no time.”

“I’ll do it.”

Kagome relaxed almost imperceptibly. “That would take a huge weight off my shoulders. I know you don’t like using phones…”

“No, but I did make a promise to ya to get more accustomed to this modern world. I’ll get used to it. And you’re right-- someone has to check in with the others. I’ll call my asshole brother first.” Inuyasha brushed aside Kagome’s unspoken thanks. It wasn’t necessary-- as his mate this was something she needed so he would provide it. 

And as soon as this was all over he was mating with her for real. No holding back anything anymore.

“Inuyasha. I love you,” she said quietly.

Despite the dire consequences of everything looming over their heads, those words made him soften for a moment. The feelings clogged up his throat, making it impossible to voice his own admission, so he leaned down and pressed a kiss to her head, stroking her tangled hair with a clawed hand. Letting her feel what he couldn’t say right then. Her lips curved into a smile for a fraction of a second before smoothing into one of intense concentration again.

Leaving Kagome to it, Inuyasha left the room in search of a phone. A small body ran up to him as he rounded a corner and he pulled up short in surprise. Looking down, he saw it was Sango’s baby cousin Yui, the one who’d been responsible for unleashing the curse the last time they were all here. She wrapped her tiny arms around his waist and he froze. He could smell the bitter salt of tears and the sour tang of fear coming off of her.

“Uh…”

“Mr. Doggy?” Yui’s tearful voice was muffled by his haori. 

Inuyasha swallowed back annoyance at the nickname and awkwardly stood there, not quite sure what to do. Did he pat her head? Soothe her? Offer reassurances? Fuck, he wasn’t any good at this emotional stuff. That was Kagome’s forte. Or Miroku’s, even. Definitely not his. Still, as much as he hated tears, her obvious distress had him pushing aside his discomfort.

“Uh...yeah? What is it?”

“Is Sango gonna be okay?”

Shit. Mild panic rose up in him as he tried to figure out the best way to answer. Picking his words carefully was not something he considered himself great at. “I dunno. But we’re doin’ everything we can.”

“Yui!”

Inuyasha looked up at the new voice and saw it was the same woman who had answered the door and led them inside earlier. She had a similar scent to Yui and he realized Suzume must be the girl’s mother. Suzume looked apologetic, the expression masking her own uncertainty and fear over Sango’s fate. 

“I’m sorry. She was in bed, but I guess everything must have woken her and she listened in,” she offered, wringing her hands. It was the only visible sign of all the worry she was keeping bottled up inside.

“It’s fine,” Inuyasha answered, wondering how long this little girl was gonna cling to him. She finally lifted her head and peered up into his eyes. Her expression was hopeful and trusting; his ears flicked, feeling uneasy and undeserving of it. Inuyasha swallowed nervously, looking from Yui to her mother.

“Come, Yui. Don’t bother him. He has other matters he needs to attend to, I’m sure,” Suzume beckoned. Her voice was gentle and motherly but her eyes belied all the doubts and dread she was doing her best to hide from her child. 

Inuyasha cleared his throat. “About that. Could I borrow your phone? I need ta check in with everyone that was at the rune locations.”

“Of course. We’ve already tried to contact all our slayers out there still, but have had minimal success getting into contact with all of them. I’ve managed to reach my husband and Sango’s father, but Zakuro and Kohaku aren’t answering.”

“I’ll find out what’s goin’ on,” Inuyasha said more confidently than he felt. If he could get a hold of Sesshomaru, well, the daiyoukai was probably aware of the status of everyone out at the rune locations. He could fill Inuyasha in, even if getting all the information would likely require all of Inuyasha’s non-existent patience.

Suzume pulled out her cell phone and wordlessly handed it to him, unlocking it so he could dial the number needed to reach his brother. Typing the digits in, it rang four times before the jackass answered.

“What?” came the clipped tone on the other end of the receiver.

“Sesshomaru. It’s over-- Tsubaki’s dead. But Sango…”

“This one gathered that. What is this about the slayer?” 

“Her soul is gone, we’re tryin’ to get it back. We’re at the slayer’s residence. But I gotta know how things went out there. How everyone is. We saw three of the runes activate.” Inuyasha willed himself not to bark his reply; tensions were high enough as it was. It was a testament to how much Kagome had already changed him that he wasn’t immediately trying to rip his brother’s head off.

Sesshomaru sighed, sounding put upon. “That is of no concern to me. As for the battle, we suffered some injuries and there were two casualties. An unfortunate but unsurprising outcome in such a battle.”

Inuyasha felt his heart clench for Kagome and Sango at the news. He gritted his teeth at Sesshomaru’s vagueness. “And?” he demanded.

“Kagura and I are fine, obviously, as is everyone else at our location. Only minor injuries were sustained,” Sesshomaru intoned. “I’ll let the slayer boy know the status of his sister.”

Inuyasha didn’t know why Kohaku hadn’t answered his phone but relaxed at the knowledge that he was safe. That was good news, and something for Sango to look forward to when she was brought back. _If_ they managed to bring her soul back-- Inuyasha mentally shook himself. Now wasn’t the time for those kinda thoughts.

“Who were the casualties?” he managed. 

“One of the spiritualists and demons at the location the wolf tribe was guarding. The woman slayer suffered great injury too, according to my twins, but she will survive.”

So Zakuro, Sango’s aunt, was still alive too. He didn’t know the extent of her injuries but that wasn’t too important to him at the moment.

“Thanks for the info,” Inuyasha said then hung up. He quickly relayed the information to Suzume, who gave a tight nod, then handed her phone back, thanking her. His duty was done, and now he wanted nothing more than to return to Kagome’s side. He might not be able to do anything more for the time being, but he could still offer her his presence.

And instead of feeling useless, this time he felt like he was enough.

~☆~

Everything fell away as Miroku felt his soul leave his body. With his power he latched onto the bridge Kagome had opened for him and dived in without hesitation. There was no doubt in him over his choice. How could there be? He’d never realized how lackluster his world had been before Sango, before the combination of her fiery spirit and adorable shyness had dominated his heart. Pulling him in until she was everything to him. Understanding him in ways no one else really had.

He would go to any lengths to save her.

Black stretched around him in an emptiness that yawned eternally as he fell further into the nothing. Eventually, there were flickers of something. Bits of scenes unrecognizable to him sparked on the walls of the makeshift tunnel, landscapes and memories that held no meaning for him. Without realizing it, his feet were suddenly standing upon something solid, and he walked forward. The tether to Sango’s soul glowed bright in the darkness and he began to follow it. Holding tight to that bright red thread, he allowed it to guide him to where she had to be waiting. 

After several steps, the scenery around Miroku shifted. He paused, sensing something else at play now. The darkness cleared, peeling away in tendrils to reveal a grand receiving room, the place a dimly lit expanse of arches supported by ornate columns. A glance down showed a black marble floor that appeared to swallow any light it came in contact with. His eyes traveled up, seeing a set of stairs lined in skulls. He had clearly attracted the attention of something powerful here in the Underworld. Apprehension set him on edge.

Instinctively, he clenched his hand, making sure his connection to Sango’s soul hadn’t disappeared. It gave a low hum in response, a whisper against the skin of his palm. Although, he realized, that was probably an illusion. There was no flesh and blood here, only spirit. 

And the woman sitting on the throne in front of him, peering down at him with immense curiosity.

She rose in one smooth motion, the black silk of her kimono a whispered rustle of fabric. Red threads of embroidery glinted like rubies as she moved, almost as bright as the thin cord meant to lead him to Sango’s soul. Long black hair framed a face of such ethereal beauty it defied description, and would have made Miroku’s breath catch if he’d been able to breathe in this place. As she glided closer Miroku could see her eyes, and they were unmistakable in their ageless depth, seeming to swirl with countless secrets.

He held himself very still at her approach. The shadows at the far reaches of the room moved as if they were alive, almost like they were excited. The woman flicked her hand in their direction and they quieted, her attention never wavering from him. Miroku said nothing; the more he observed her, the more certain he was of this woman’s identity. And if his suspicions were correct, this could either go very well or very poorly for him.

"Well, now this is most intriguing. You are the second soul to appear in my lands still possessing a connection to the living," the woman said, her velvet voice quiet but commanding with a lilt that would have captivated a lesser man. She laughed softly as she stopped before him, looking pointedly at the thread he held onto so tightly.

Miroku’s hand clenched over it reflexively. “Your lands?”

“I am Izanami, Goddess of the Underworld,” the woman replied, tilting her head as she studied him, “but I can see my introduction was unnecessary. You already know this.”

"You said I’m the second. Where's the first?" Miroku demanded, his desperation getting the better of him. All his smooth words had deserted him in the wake of Sango’s loss. The other soul Izanami was referring to was undeniably Sango. It _had_ to be. Yet, the moment the words left him he realized his mistake; it was not wise to make demands of a goddess. He needed to watch what he said to avoid angering her. “If I may ask,” he amended quickly, giving a slight bow before straightening.

However, her expression wasn’t one of anger, but amusement.

"Ah. I see now," Izanami said, her lips curving into a slight and knowing smile. "Death has not touched you; your soul glows brighter than those who reside here. You have come to _pursue_ her, haven't you?"

"I have." There was no point in denying it, and there was no doubt in his mind who the _her_ was. He met Izanami’s fathomless gaze, letting her see his conviction.

"You actually came here willingly," she laughed. "Foolish man. No one ever leaves the Underworld." Her hand reached up to cup his cheek and he suppressed a shiver at the way it chilled his very being.

"There's a first for everything."

"And if you fail? You will die and belong to me." Her hand tightened its grip, sharp fingernails digging into his jaw. 

"That's a risk I'm willing to take." Miroku didn’t flinch; she was trying to intimidate him but he wouldn't be swayed. His resolve was unshakable. No matter how nervous dealing with a being of such power made him, he would brave anything if it meant saving Sango.

"Hmm. How curious. Do you not fear death?" Izanami questioned.

"I do, but I fear a life without Sango more," Miroku answered honestly.

Izanami released him and walked a couple paces away, the silk curtain of her hair swaying with the movement. “Even faced with a goddess you do not back down. I do not know if I should be impressed or displeased.”

“My vote is for impressed,” Miroku shrugged, doing his best to sound as nonchalant as possible. Every second he spent here with her was a second wasted in getting Sango back, but he couldn’t rush this. And perhaps, if he was truly lucky, Izanami just might decide she liked him enough to help him. “I apologize if I don’t seem properly cowed. You are truly magnificent, however my desperation has blinded me to everything but saving the woman I love, you see,” he continued smoothly when Izanami still said nothing.

The smile returned to Izanami’s red lips. “I must admit your attitude is...refreshing. Her name is Sango?”

Miroku blinked, a bit surprised at the topic change. “Yes.”

“You wish to bring her back to the land of the living, yes?”

“That’s right.”

“I know what ritual you have performed to send your soul here, young monk. And I can also tell you that no one has ever been successful in retrieving a soul. You realize it is my job, as Goddess of the Underworld, to maintain order. All souls that end up here must stay.” She turned to fully face him again as she spoke, her expression revealing nothing.

“I know it’s a long shot, but I don’t think anyone else has ever been as determined as I am, or as willing to sacrifice everything. Sango still has a connection to the living. She belongs in my world with me. She’s not yours to claim yet,” Miroku stated boldly. _She’s mine,_ he didn’t say aloud, but the message was clear.

Izanami arched a brow at his audacity. “That is not for you to decide. However, your words have merit. You are correct in that she arrived here under most unusual circumstances.”

“Please, tell me where she is,” Miroku pleaded, bowing slightly. Hope lurched in his chest.

Izanami looked at him, seeming to consider something for a long moment. She then waved her hand and with the gesture a table appeared, piled high with all sorts of delectable food and drink. The aromas enticed him in a way few things ever had before, becoming a sort of siren song. With an enormous effort, he resisted the urge to step forward and take a bite. 

Izanami smiled coyly. “First, join me for a meal. It has been so long since I’ve had such...interesting and handsome company.”

Miroku spared a thought of gratitude for all his Buddhist training. It allowed him to withhold the words he really wanted to say and clear his mind so that he projected a facade of placid calm. There was no way he could accept her invitation. Only residents of the Underworld could eat food from this realm; if he consumed anything Izanami offered he would become a denizen of this place, trapped forever and unable to leave. As Goddess of the Underworld, Izanami was undoubtedly aware of all of this, which meant this ‘invitation’ had to be a test of sorts. Miroku had to be careful with what he said next, lest he cause offense.

“You are most gracious, but I fear I must decline,” he finally said, inclining his head towards Izanami. “Time is short, and while it is regrettable, such a feast is wasted upon me. My appetite has deserted me in light of the uncertainty and anxiety of my current situation.”

Izanami gave a surprised laugh. “You have a silver tongue in that pretty head of yours, I see. Well said,” she noted with approval, waving her hand again. The table with all the food disappeared in the blink of an eye. “Still, you are mistaken if you think your press for time has any meaning to me.”

“No, I don’t suppose it would for a goddess such as yourself,” Miroku agreed, allowing himself to relax the tiniest fraction. Whatever her test had been, he’d passed it.

"Indeed. Time is a meaningless construct here. What purpose does it serve to count the minutes and hours when all of eternity stretches before you?" Izanami continued, beginning to walk a slow circle around him. “Still, I understand your plight. However, as I explained to your _Sango_ , it is beyond my power to help you in the way you seek. I cannot simply wave my hands and send the both of you back to the land of the living. It is more complicated than that.”

“You...you spoke with her?”

“Yes, although she is a shadow of the woman you profess to love. She didn’t even know her own name,” Izanami replied, her tone casual as if they were discussing the weather. “Such a tragedy. It’s clear her soul is suffering the trauma of being ripped so inelegantly from her body.”

“She remembers nothing?” Miroku suddenly felt unsteady, like the ground had dropped out from beneath him. Although breathing wasn’t necessary he still drew in a mouthful of air, releasing it slowly to calm himself. This was a complication in an already complicated situation. Forcing the doubts at bay, he clung to the thread linked to Sango’s soul. It would be fine-- he had to believe that. He would figure it out.

“No,” Izanami confirmed. “She also entered my domain without going through the customary channels. I found her poor soul wandering, with no clue where she even was.”

“Please. Where is she now?” Miroku could probably find her on his own but it would be a waste of precious time. If Izanami could at least point him in the right direction it would be one less obstacle to cross. Of course, he was an interloper in her territory and already infringing on her (forced) hospitality. If he had been thinking clearly, he might have guessed that something like this would happen; as Goddess of the Underworld, Izanami had to be vigilant with every soul that entered her domain. Especially if that soul didn’t belong.

“Surely, you aren’t asking for my help?” Izanami returned. “As I’ve just told you, any assistance I could offer is...limited, were I so inclined.”

“I don’t expect your help. I’m just asking for your guidance.”

“Truly, today has turned out to be quite interesting. That's quite a feat when not much interests me, anymore.” Izanami stepped close, and Miroku almost shuddered from the amount of power emanating from her. He held still, waiting for her judgement. “Perhaps an exception could be made, just this once.”

“You...you would do that?” Miroku scarcely dared to hope, half afraid she was merely toying with him.

“Under one condition,” Izanami replied, her slim hands reaching out to slide up his chest and rest on either side of his neck, the gesture far too intimate for his liking. 

Not too long ago this may not have bothered him-- hell, he might have even welcomed it. He was a sucker for a pretty girl, after all. But now all he could think about was Sango. All he could imagine _wanting_ was Sango. This small act almost felt like a betrayal to her but he didn’t pull away, waiting to see what the goddess would do next.

“What might that be?” he managed in a surprisingly even tone.

Izanami took a hand and caressed the side of his face, her fingertips landing on his lips. She leaned close, allowing him to see the galaxies hidden in the dark depths of her eyes. It was unnerving. “I must admit the lack of company here can get... _lonely_. And even a goddess such as myself has needs. If you would indulge me, I would help you with this soul you seek to retrieve.”

Miroku closed his eyes against her words. Could he go through with something like this if it meant saving Sango? If it meant letting him hold her in his arms again, or hearing the sound of her voice saying his name? He would do anything for her, go to the very ends of the earth. He had followed her into the Underworld. But this?

No. _Never._

If the way he was letting Izanami touch him already felt like a betrayal, the guilt of kissing and touching a woman who was not Sango would eat him alive. Even if Izanami said it was the only way, he could never justify it. Never cross that line.

“I can’t,” he forced out, eyes opening.

Izanami’s fingers left his lips and she looked at him with a narrowed gaze, her own lips pursing at his refusal of her. “No?” she repeated.

“You’re very beautiful but...I can’t betray Sango like that. And there's no other woman who could make me want her the way I want Sango. Not even you,” Miroku said honestly. Maybe, if he exhausted all other options, and time was running out...even then he would never forgive himself for doing such a thing no matter the intentions behind it.

“Not even a kiss? Not even if this was the only way to save your beloved?” 

“Saving her like this would feel like a failure. Please, ask something else of me. _Anything._ Or I’ll find another way.”

Izanami studied him for a moment longer before finally releasing him and stepping back. Miroku expected anger but what he got instead was a look of approval and amusement. Had this all been another test from her? 

“You must truly love her, then,” Izanami remarked. With a wave of her hand the scenery around them spun and changed. When everything settled a snowy landscape situated in the heart of a forest revealed itself, deceptively peaceful. They stood upon a path cutting through the bare trees, flakes of snow falling gently all around them from a gray sky.

The red thread connected to Sango’s soul pulsed in Miroku’s hand, its presence flaring to life. Sango had to be nearby. He couldn’t hold back his sigh of relief. 

“Love is rare and precious. I know what you are thinking and you are correct: That was a test, and you passed,” Izanami acknowledged.

“Why test me?”

“Not many come here risking their very souls to bring their loved ones back to the living...but the ones who do never make it past that test. They proclaim how deep their love is then betray it in an instant.”

“Making them unworthy,” Miroku surmised. 

Izanami nodded. “Yes. However, my help can only extend so far. Even _I_ have limitations.”

“I don’t want to sound ungrateful, but why the change of heart? You’ve made it clear that those who enter here aren’t supposed to leave,” Miroku said carefully.

“You’re right. But because you have amused me and proven yourself, I’ll give you a valuable piece of advice. Consider it a thank you for easing my boredom.” Izanami gave an elegant shrug. “You must make her remember who she was to have any hope of returning her soul to her body.”

“How am I supposed to do that?”

Izanami chuckled. “Come now. I can’t give you all the answers, only a nudge in the right direction. Just follow the thread in your hands. You may be surprised at how resilient it is, and why. The key to freeing her is the wakizashi she carries with her.”

Miroku almost asked her what he was supposed to do with the wakizashi but chose to stay silent, bowing in thanks instead. They would be wasted words. Any response he would receive from Izanami would be an answer wrapped up in more cryptic advice. Judging by the gleam in the goddess’s eyes, she was content to sit back and watch everything unfold. Whether he succeeded or not, it wouldn’t matter to her. He was just entertainment.

“No one else has been able to do what is necessary but perhaps you will figure it out,” Izanami said. “Good luck.”

Before he could voice his gratitude she was gone.

Miroku looked down at his hand, cautiously opening it to examine the red string that would lead him to Sango. What he saw made him blink in surprise as he held his hand up to his face now.

It was wrapped around his pinky, snug and secure and practically vibrating with warmth. He swallowed, wondering about some of Izanami’s parting words to him. _You may be surprised at how resilient it is, and why._ Was this link more than a connection to Sango’s soul?

Could it be the red string of fate?

Emotion welled up in him at the very real possibility. If it was, it meant that Sango was his soulmate. The one person he had been destined to always find his way back towards and spend his life with. He didn’t question it because somehow that knowledge made perfect sense to him. The other tether connecting Sango to her body was still there too-- he could feel it when he focused-- but the two had somehow melded together when he wasn’t paying attention. 

More determined than ever now, Miroku set off down the path. Everything was quiet in the way that falling snow seemed to mute the world around it. The stillness was unsettling, putting him on edge along with just about everything else. There was no telltale crunch of snow beneath his feet as he picked up his pace, his sense of urgency making him walk faster. No wind to rustle the branches. Just him alone in this expanse of winter where the very world seemed to be sleeping, in permanent statis.

He would wake it (and Sango) up if it was the last thing he did. 

There was a bend in the path up ahead and the tether to Sango’s soul suddenly grew hot, sending a pulse through him that caused him to shudder involuntarily. It came with a slight tug, like it was trying to pull him along towards the other end. Towards Sango. The thought both energized him and filled him with apprehension; he had no idea what he was doing and was hoping Izanami’s words of advice would be enough to guide him towards making the right choices. 

The closer he came the hotter it burned until Miroku _knew_. Sango was there, almost within his reach. Then he was rounding the bend and she was standing right in front of him, dressed in a gauzy red dress that flowed in waves around her form. She blinked at his appearance and Miroku felt a punch of relief at the sight of her. When he met her gaze all that relief died. Her chocolate eyes were blank, absent of any recognition. He thought he had prepared himself but the reality of it still hollowed him out.

Only mere footsteps away and yet still a canyon stretched between them.

Miroku took a step towards her and she backed away, her expression turning wary. She raised the wakizashi she carried up into a defensive position, making him freeze. If he made the wrong move she wouldn’t hesitate to attack him, and it made him wonder what else she had already faced in the time she had been here.

“Who are you?” she demanded.

Holding back the inevitable hurt those three words caused, Miroku raised both hands in submission, taking another step forward. “I’m here to help you.”

“I didn’t ask that-- I said _who are you?”_ she repeated, a slight tremble to her voice now.

Now that he was faced with her, all the words racing in his mind caught in his throat. He swallowed. “My name is Miroku. You...you don’t remember me, but I know you. And you know me too. In ways few people ever have.”

“I don’t know you-- I don’t _remember.”_ Her voice bordered on desperation, communicating her unspoken struggle.

Miroku could feel it, that same desperation churning inside him as he tried to figure out his next move. How was he supposed to make her remember him when she didn’t even know her own name anymore? Izanami had said the wakizashi would be the key. That meant it was up to him to figure out the rest to save his Sango.  
  
  


She looked at him, almost helplessly. His face was hauntingly familiar. No sooner had the thought entered her mind then the thread that had been pulling her along pulsed with a warmth that suffused her entire being. She glanced down and saw it was wrapped around her pinky now, the other end attached to this man standing before her and claiming his good intentions. Her goal had been to follow it until the end, hoping whatever awaited her would hold the key to freeing her from this place. Frustration, despair, and confusion clawed at her as she came to the realization that this string had been tugging her towards this man the whole time. Not at some magical solution that would unlock her memories and bring her back to life.

Could she trust where the string had led her? Could she trust _him?_

Or perhaps Izanami had been right, and she would never remember. Never leave this desolate place.

“Let me help you. Please,” the man pleaded, his strange indigo eyes shining. Staring at her, like they could see right through her to the person she had been. The unfairness of it made her angry. This man knew more about her than she knew about herself.

And with the anger came the doubts. The images of people and places flickering in her mind surged to life with a vengeance; it was debilitating for a second, consuming her. And this man’s face featured heavily in almost all of them. How could she know that this wasn’t a trick? That somehow his visage hadn’t been plucked from her mind to serve as a distraction from her purpose?

“How do you know me?” she finally asked, cautiously.

“We were friends. Partners. Lovers,” he replied, his expression softening. “You're mine, and I'm yours."

It made her want to soften towards him in return, but she steeled herself against the impulse. He took another step towards her and she allowed it, some inexplicable part of her yearning for him. The string connecting the two of them hummed, glowing bright, and her wakizashi gave an answering shimmer of heat. She was careful not to let her surprise show, trying to remain guarded until she knew if this man was genuine or just a cruel scheme to lead her astray.

"Lovers?" she repeated. "If...if we had such a strong bond, then why don't I remember you?"

He shrugged. "You've forgotten everything. You don't even know your own name."

"How do you know that?" She meant the question to come off intimidating, authoritative, but instead it was almost plaintive. Her voice pitiful. She glared to hide her weakness, wanting to resent him for it. As if he was the one to blame for her sudden inner turmoil.

"Izanami told me," he answered, then paused, his gaze drawn to the weapon in her hands. Something shifted in his eyes, a kind of dawning realization. "Where did you get that wakizashi?"

"I don't know. It just appeared when I needed it. I was told not to let it go because it's important, but I don't know why," she replied. The detachment she had felt moments before his appearance was rapidly deteriorating. In its place were new emotions, confusing and unwelcome and bewildering in their intensity. She latched onto the one thing he said that made any kind of sense to her. "You spoke with Izanami about me? The Goddess who resides here?"

"I did," he confirmed, taking another step towards her, "but that's not important. I came to bring you back, but you have to remember first."

"Why should I believe anything you say?"

"Because I risked everything for you by coming here."

"How do I know you're real?" Her uncertainty was clear, despite her efforts to mask it with suspicion.

The man calling himself Miroku took another step. He was only a few paces away now, and he held up his hand, showing the red string wrapped around his pinky that looped back to her. “There’s no tangible way for me to prove it. But this string that binds us together should show you how connected we are.” 

“What happened to the other...the other tether? I’ve felt it inside my chest all this time, trying to pull me along and lead me back to my body. Why did it change?” She wanted to believe him but without her memories she couldn’t trust it. Couldn’t trust that this place that never wanted her to leave wasn’t making her see things.

“It didn’t. It’s still there. I suspect the two are tied together,” Miroku reasoned. 

He tried to walk closer and she backed away, raising her wakizashi to stop him in his tracks. The weapon seemed to jump in her hand, flaring with light when the point connected with his throat. Again, that dawning realization sparked in his gaze, and his expression turned to one of calculated understanding.

“I see,” he murmured, so quiet she almost didn’t catch it.

The act of swinging her blade at him seemed to spark something else inside of her, almost like a memory, but it was gone as quickly as it had appeared. Why would she remember attacking him? Had everything he told her been a lie?

“Easy,” he said calmly.

“Stay back,” she commanded. 

“What if I don’t want to? Will you attack me?” There was something about his voice now that seemed to goad her. 

“Maybe I will. After all, I’m short on time.”

“You’re wasting time,” he agreed, “by being so stubborn. I see not even a lack of memory changed that part of you. What a shame.”

“Excuse me?” She felt a fresh wave of anger and irritation surge.

“It was one of your least flattering attributes, to be honest,” he continued, almost flippantly. His eyes seemed to mock her.

“If you despise it so much then why are you here?”

“That’s an excellent question. Perhaps I made a mistake in coming after you.”

Those words cut deep, although she couldn’t explain why. And maybe that was a trick too, the way he seemed to be able to manipulate her emotions. Make her feel again in this barren place. She pressed her wakizashi closer but he didn’t flinch.

“Someone who loved me wouldn’t say that,” she said quietly, the words furious.

“Someone who loved me wouldn’t have thrown their life away so easily. Do you know how annoying it is to clean up this mess you’ve made?”

“What...what are you talking about?”

“And you’ve forgotten me so easily,” he went on, eyes narrowing. For a second she thought she saw a flash of hurt before it was buried under the weight of his next words. “But that’s fine. You’ll be just as easy for me to forget. I’m only here as an obligation to you, really.”

His callous words fanned the flames of her anger and it burned hot.

“Shut up…” she whispered. 

His face flickered in her mind again, moments she still couldn’t remember but that nevertheless made her heart ache with a searing intensity. A teasing word, a soft expression, their bodies entwining together, her blade cutting into him, him pushing her out of harm’s way….They were relentless and her knees buckled for an instant. The warmth and love they conveyed was so at odds with the way he was treating her now and it _hurt._ She took the hurt and channeled it into more anger, until it was sharp enough to pierce right through everything else she was feeling. Obliterating it. 

“I should take this opportunity to be free of you. It’s actually a relief,” he taunted.

Her anger coalesced into resolve. This man, she decided, couldn’t be real. Couldn’t be the same man haunting her absent memories. _That_ man was full of affection and devotion and so much of the good that had been her life. How she knew that when the memories never stayed long enough for her to remember, she didn’t know. She just _did._

Lowering her blade for a fraction of a second, she lunged at him, gaining momentum in her swing. It was meant as more of a warning, lacking any lethal intent. He dodged it easily with a laugh, but it sounded forced. She didn’t take the time to try and figure it out. Instead, she swung again, her fighter’s instinct taking over as she crouched to aim for his knees. He nimbly jumped to the side and she followed it up with a quick diagonal slash as she rose back to her feet. She spun, her red skirts snapping out as he leaned back just in time to avoid her strike.

“Stop it. Just leave!” She yelled.

“Afraid I can’t do that. Don’t worry, I’ll be happy to go our separate ways once we’re back in the land of the living. Looking forward to it. You’ve been nothing but a burden, holding me back from doing what I want.”

“How?” She bit the word off, her face twisting as if it tasted sour in her mouth.

“Come on, I’m not a man who's meant to be tied down to one woman. You think you were enough?” He scoffed. There was a hollowness to his words but she was too blinded by her rage to acknowledge it.

Another crack in her heart. More scenes fluttered past her mind’s eye. Memories fragmented, like a broken mirror with no way to put them back together. 

“You’re horrible,” she spat, glaring at him as she looked for an opening.

“That’s not what you were saying all those times you were beneath me,” he returned with a suggestive smirk.

Hurt flared again, painful and jagged. Her eyes pricked with moisture and she furiously blinked it away. She had to make it stop. Put an end to this, or he would keep hurting her in ways she still didn’t fully understand. Each jab at her heart made the inundation of memories crowding her mind rise to the surface, almost as if to refute the terrible things he was saying to her. 

“You’re not real. You can't be!" There was no hiding the pain in her voice now.

For a moment she thought there was an answering pain reflected in his gaze, but she shook her head. That was impossible. This man, despite professing to be her partner, her lover, was just a cold shadow.

"What makes you so sure? You can't remember anything, after all. Like how much of a drag you were. How suffocating it was to stay by your side.”

Another slash, another side step. Another laugh from him that rang false. Her hair whipped around her in her fury. It was becoming less about warning him off and more about making him suffer, each slice of her wakizashi an effort to inflict the same torment upon him that he was causing her. He wore a smile through it all but it never reached his eyes.

"That's not true...it's not true!" she snarled.

"How do you know? Remember, and tell me.”

Back and forth they went, with her attacking and him content to merely defend and dodge. Every swing of her blade carried more intent to maim as each careless word from him wedged itself deeper into her soul, causing a fresh wave of hurt to crash into her. And a fresh tide of memories she struggled to grasp onto, each one stronger than the last.

“I just _know!_ ”

“That’s not good enough. Just like you.”

“Shut up... _I know!_ I can’t explain it! Why are you so cruel? Just leave me!”

Her body trembled from the force of all the emotion welling up inside of her, almost impossible to hold back. She knew. Because the Miroku she loved would never be so cold and indifferent to her. That wasn’t the kind of man he was. 

Her next thoughts echoed his words.

 _How do I know this beyond a shadow of a doubt?_ Her complete certainty shook her and another deluge of memories crested as she struggled to come to grips with this realization. Her lips parted in a wordless cry of frustration, going on the offensive yet again once the mobility returned to her limbs. 

“Sometimes we have to do cruel things to the people we love,” he shrugged, barely managing to avoid the edge of her blade.

“I’m not your love!” she ground out.

“Oh, but you are.”

"You’re just an illusion conjured by this place! You’re not the man from my memories!”

“You remember me?” He paused for a moment, eyes widening. It allowed her to land a glancing blow to his arm that he raised just in time to keep it from cutting a line of fire into his neck.

“No! Yes! I don’t know!” She faltered for a moment, her expression as helpless as she felt as she struggled to come up with an answer, her wakizashi falling to her side. Her grip on the hilt tightened until her knuckles turned white. “It doesn’t matter, anyways. I don’t want your help and I don’t need it!”

“You act so independent but the truth is, no matter how strong of a front you put on, you’re just a lonely little girl.”

“I am not!”

“Then who are you?” he demanded.

“Sango!” she cried, the word wrenched from her, and her wakizashi blazed light as she lunged forward. Her feet kicked up snow in a spray that sparkled in a scintillating display, each crystalline fragment refracting the moment, freezing it in time for the briefest instant.

He stood still, making no move to defend against her, his face one of utter acceptance as her own went blank in shocked recognition.

Then she stabbed him, her blade sinking into his chest all the way to the hilt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the cliffhanger! What will happen to Miroku and Sango now?


End file.
